Wigan Athletic struck gold with Chelsea transfer - Ryan Lowe will want to replicate it | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic will sure want to replicate a transfer like Chelsea man Reece James.

Wigan Athletic hit the jackpot with the loan of Chelsea's Reece James, who has gone on to be an England international and one of the world's best right-backs.

Chelsea right-back Reece James was signed by Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2018 under the management of Paul Cook, which turned out to be a transfer masterclass for the youngster.

Given this loan move to the DW Stadium (as it was then named) would be his first taste of senior football, not many could've expected what he would go on to achieve.

Bringing in the academy graduate from Cobham to Wigan was a bold move by Cook, who was desperately in need of defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2018/19 season.

Having not played a game of professional football prior to his arrival in Greater Manchester, it was a risky punt for James to be the Latics first choice for the upcoming season. However, the now England international quickly waved away those early concerns.

Upon his arrival back in 2018, Wigan supporters were full of excitement over the signing due to his youthful dynamism and versatility in playing in defence and also as a defensive midfielder. With Wigan looking to secure Championship survival that season, the presence of James sure was a major factor as to how the Latics achieved that feat.

Despite merely being 18-years-old at the time, James showed a level of maturity that was way beyond his years, and the fact that he played 45 Championship games epitomised that.

The Chelsea man helped the Latics finish in a steady 18th place in the Championship, 12 points above the relegation zone.

Even when kickstarting his career, as aforementioned, the young full-back demonstrated his versatility and reliability as Cook decided to use James as a midfielder halfway through the season.

One of his standout performances from the engine room came in their 5-2 victory over rivals Bolton Wanderers in March 2019. Just four minutes in, James assisted Joe Garner with the opener and pulled off an assured performance which looked as though he'd been playing as a number 6 his whole career.

As well as his defensive duties, James was also handy at the other end of the pitch as he scored three times in the league and provided two assists.

The pick of the bunch being a long-range thunderbolt away to Bristol City to give Wigan a 0-1 lead in their eventual 2-2 draw at Ashton Gate - a goal that would win the club's Goal of the Season award.

The last day of the 2018/19 Championship season in Wigan's 1-0 home win against Millwall marked James' last game for the Latics, who showed their appreciation for the youngster by handing him the captain's armband on the day.

A gesture that was backed up by the Wigan faithful in the final stages of the game when James was substituted just before the full-time whistle where he received a standing ovation.

James was named Wigan's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year for the 18/19 season.

When recalled to his parent club Chelsea at the end of the 18/19 season, James' impressive loan spell instantly earned himself a spot in the Blues' first-team setup as he made 24 Premier League appearances during the 2019/20 Premier League season, and scored in the Champions League that same season.

Despite injury concerns being prevalent throughout his career so far, it hasn't stopped the defender from having a list of honours to his name.

He won the Champions League in 2020/21, as well as the Conference League last season, and also has a UEFA Super Cup and two FIFA Club World Cup wins to his name.

As well as at club level, James has also performed on the international stage as he represented his nation at Euro 2020, and will no doubt be hoping to be on the Three Lions' plane for the 2026 World Cup.

With James being one of the club's most successful players, Latics fans can always take pride in the fact that it was at Wigan where James kicked off his career and will always hold close in his heart.