Jordan James on Leicester ‘chaos’, Declan Rice and the challenge of facing PSG: ‘As soon as you lose that ball, they’re gone’ | OneFootball

Jordan James is talking about the “chaos” of his last two seasons, playing under multiple different managers and through a points deduction with relegated Leicester City, when talk inevitably turns to what it’s like to face Paris Saint-Germain.

If there’s a team that can subject you to even more chaos, it’s the defending European champions. James played against them for Rennes in 2024-25, and exhales as he remembers the sheer speed.

“As soon as you lose that ball, they’re gone,” the midfielder says. “And it’s so hard to get bodies back into your own half because they’re so fast.

“They’ve just got so many players that can do different things. Desire Doue was at Rennes before so I trained with him, and he’s unbelievable, as everyone knows.

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Jordan James trained alongside the 'unbelievable' Desire Doue at Rennes (Getty)

“They just work off each other and, as soon as you give it to the front players, it’s so hard trying to block off the middle of the pitch and force them outside. You’re a man down because they’ve gone past you, with so many players that are willing to go at people and dribble.

“Even goal kicks, they’re so aggressive. It’s so hard to try and beat that first.”

James is talking now in the calmer setting of his family home in Hereford, enjoying a beautiful day, after a season on loan at Leicester that presented different challenges.

The 21-year-old is widely seen as one of the players who gave a good individual account of himself in an otherwise nightmare season for the club.

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Jordan James gave a good account of himself for relegated Leicester (Getty)

If it’s impossible to know which way someone like Khvicha Kvaratshkelia is going to turn, the uncertainty of a points deduction in a relegation battle is something else. The Leicester squad were constantly kept aware of proceedings, but that almost brought the converse challenge of having to “shut it out”. The season obviously carried an extra weight due to the 10-year anniversary of the sensational Premier League title win, but James says that was one more element that they had to see as noise outside.

“We just had to sort of focus on what we’re able to control. We obviously knew what was going on, and the players started to get a little bit anxious, which is normal.

“You have to try and shut it out but it’s hard. It’s going in the background, and everyone knows about it. At the end of the day, we’re paid to do a job, we’re the footballers and we’re the only ones that can affect it. No one else can. So that’s sort of the mindset we went with.”

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Leicester were relegated from the Championship after a points deduction (PA)

It’s also the mindset that explains why James has attracted interest, and why he feels the season was individually good for him despite the challenges. There’s a tinge of sadness with that, given how James came to “love the club and the fans”.

“I’ll forever be grateful for what they gave me. Obviously you build friendships and relationships with your teammates and you’re seeing them suffer because they’ve obviously got longer contracts and that.”

Leicester’s relegation means James has returned to Rennes for the time being, with an injury forcing him out of Wales’ June international camp.

Such discussion alone shows he has already experienced a lot for a mere 21-year-old. James has had nine different managers across three different seasons at three different clubs, none with especially stable environments, and that at the crucial development age of 19 to 21. It can be seen in how he’s gone from a goalscoring eight to a number-six and back again.

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Jordan James (right) has dealt with plenty of upheaval in his young career (Getty)

Despite all of that, he now goes into matches “feeling I can affect them”.

“How I feel at the moment is I’m good enough to sort of change games.”

It was for such reasons, and the will to develop himself, that James opted to leave Birmingham City for Rennes in the summer of 2024.

“For me, going abroad has always been something I wanted to do. I think there’s not many players that want to do it at the age I went. It sort of sets you aside.

“And just for me to grow as a person. I was quite quiet before I went to Rennes. It helped me massively as a person, and also football-wise.”

James’ eyes light up as he remembers the French crowds.

“The flares. Just being able to deal with those hostile environments compared to England.”

He was also struck by the difference in football cultures.

“They’re really focused on the gym, which I wasn’t expecting - all athletes, and really powerful.

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Jordan James admits to a culture shock after moving to France (Getty)

“In English football, it’s more possession-based, working your attacks, whereas over there it’s more counter-attacking and powerful movements.

“You’re fighting a lot more and there’s a sense if you lose the ball, you’re going to get punished.”

James admits he “struggled a bit mentally” just due to the change at such a young age, which resulted in the loan much closer to home in Leicester. “We’re quite a close family.” He could nevertheless feel the benefit of having greater confidence, and more personality.

An adaptability can be seen in his midfield roles. On the subject of PSG and the Champions League final, he says he watches Declan Rice a lot, given how the Arsenal midfielder has also switched between six and eight.

“I feel I’d never really known my position. I was light when I was young, so they put me in areas where I’ve always been good technically.

“So I went to Rennes and I was sort of a six, but then I went to Leicester and got told by the manager he sees me as an eight.”

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Jordan James has modelled himself on Declan Rice (Getty)

James credits former Leicester coach Marti Cifuentes as “the first manager who’s shown 100% trust” in him “no matter what, but his own physical growth also helped his range. He could “be a six in build-up” and then “get into higher areas” - like Rice.

“Declan’s a perfect example. He’s been the best player in the Premier League this year. The way he picks up different areas at different times, it’s so good.

“I’ve worked with so many different people with different strategies and ideas and I just use them all in different ways.”

Wales have certainly felt the benefit. Although James could declare for England, he only ever felt Welsh.

“Yeah, I don't think my dad would let me play for England.”

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Wales missed out on the World Cup after defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff (Getty)

There’s also some regret in just missing the World Cup in losing that March play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he is optimistic about what next.

“I felt we were good enough to get there, like in that Bosnia game. I came off injured in the 60th minute and I think we were 1-0 up. I hated knowing you can’t affect the game any more.

“They were obviously hanging on a little bit and I couldn’t do anything about it. The only good thing is you get more chances. We know we have to obviously make tournaments.”

Next up is a home Euro 2028. He still intends to immerse himself in the World Cup.

“I love football so I'll be watching every game. I've got a little brother that loves it as well, so we'll be watching it together.”

A bit of calm, after so much chaos.