Thomas Tuchel said he never had any doubts about Reece James' quality after the Chelsea captain marked his England return with a goal against Latvia on Monday. 

James opened the scoring at Wembley Stadium with a stunning free-kick, before goals from Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze sealed a comfortable win for the Three Lions. 

Indeed, James became the first defender to score a direct free-kick goal for England at Wembley since Stuart Pearce did so back in November 1992 (v Turkiye).

It was also the 25-year-old's first start since a 3-3 draw with Germany in the Nations League in September 2022, and he put on an impressive display against Latvia. 

James recorded a team-high total of accurate passes (96), while also winning possession back more times than any of his England team-mates (eight). 

The full-back is a player Tuchel knows well, with the pair having worked together at Chelsea, winning the Champions League in 2020-21 along with two other major honours. 

And though he is aware of James' recent injury record, Tuchel believes that the Blues defender could be a big player for England during his tenure. 

"I know the quality he has in that foot — it's amazing. He has every right to be happy and proud of his performance. He's in excellent shape," Tuchel added. 

"When we called him up, he hadn't had many games, but it wasn't due to injury, they were just taking care and managing him. He looks sharp and in shape."

Back with a big goal and performance @ReeceJames is your England Player of the Match connected by @EE! pic.twitter.com/XJf7cR0BxN

— England (@England) March 24, 2025

James has made 14 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions this season after suffering two separate hamstring injuries so far this term. 

Under Enzo Maresca, he has operated in a defensive midfield role over the last few weeks, scoring his only goal of the campaign in the position against Bournemouth. 

But when Tuchel was asked about whether this could be trialled on the international stage, he conceded it might not be best suited to his playing style.

"We did it rarely at Chelsea. If you play a dominant match like today, he can be a hybrid midfielder to help create an overload. He plays chipped balls. He's very confident," he said.

"If there are a lot of transitions in midfield, I'm not sure if it will suit him perfectly. Reece's quality is at the highest level.

"We have been in close contact in the last weeks. We were sure and learned that he trained without pausing.

"We knew he was in good shape and in a good space mentally. That's what he proved. He was very positive throughout the camp."