Matty James reveals what's next

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-matty-james-coventry-5153172

 

Matty James reveals what's next and his emotional plea to Leicester City players
The 29-year-old Leicester City midfielder admits it will be hard to leave his beloved Foxes this summer as fresh start on the table at Coventry City

ByAndy Turner
09:00, 13 MAR 2021

Out of contract at Leicester City in the summer, Matty James is not expected to be short of options after re-establishing himself as an influential Championship campaigner.

The 29-year-old has finally put years of injury agony behind him to prove he still has plenty of quality left in the tank during successful loan spells at Barnsley and Coventry City.

In the first half of the season he helped pull the Tykes up by their boot laces from the lower reaches of the division, fourth from bottom when he first arrived at Oakwell, to the dizzy heights of ninth and three points off the play-off places when he left on January 2.

Recalled by the Foxes and immediately redirected south down the M69 and along an M6 diversion to the Sky Blues’ groundshare venue at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s, James was tasked with filling the void left by skipper Liam Kelly who was just a few weeks into a two month lay-off with a groin strain.

Slotting in seamlessly as a like-for-like replacement, the experienced head did exactly what it says on the tin; providing a calm head, expert use of the ball and undoubted influence in the middle of the park.

Twelve league games in and the former Manchester United trainee has already had the captain’s armband and continues to exert his influence, more recently being played slightly further forward and popping up with his first goal in four years.

That welcome equaliser at Ewood Park helped earn Mark Robins’s men a valuable point against Blackburn Rovers, with James almost doubling his season’s tally a week later when he thumped the post in a crucial 1-0 win over bottom half rivals Derby County.

Conundrum

The return of Coventry’s Captain Fantastic provided a bit of a selection conundrum for Robins who has tweaked his system to squeeze both Kelly and James into the same side.

Now playing a midfield diamond, Kelly sits at the base while the impressive Foxes loan man is deployed on the left point of the rhombus as the manager attempts to steer the Sky Blues clear of the threat of relegation.

In short, James has already played a part in the League One champions’ bid to secure a footing back in the second tier, with 11 games left to successfully complete his January brief.

Hugely popular with Leicester fans, he quickly earned the admiration of the Sky Blue iFollowers who are unanimous in their feeling that he should be near the top of the manager’s list when it comes to his summer recruitment drive.

Robins revealed when he signed the midfielder that he had done so with half an eye on making him a permanent fixture at the club, keen to use his four and a bit month spell as a ‘get to know each other’ exercise.

So far it looks to be a perfect fit for both parties, and this week’s news that the football club are returning home to the Ricoh Arena next season, after 18-months in exile in the second city, could prove to be an added sweetener – the stadium an almost identical modern 32,000 capacity venue as the King Power.

Assuming the club stays in the Championship, they should, in theory, be in pole position for his signature.

“I’m enjoying it,” said James, who knows from bitter experience that he cannot afford to look too far forward as he strives for stability in a career that threatened to be cut short in recent years.

“It’s just more game time for me, which is important, and trying to help the team as much as I possibly can to creep up the league.

“Certainly for me, on a personal note, it’s about staying as fit as I can and enjoying football again, which is something I am 100 per cent doing at the minute.

“That’s my goal but, most importantly, being part of a team and helping them as much as I can.”

A ruptured ACL resulted in his first long-term lay-off which cruelly forced him to miss Leicester’s incredible title winning 2015/16 campaign in the Premier League - the biggest achievement in the club’s entire history.

Most players recover in nine to 12 months but complications meant James was out for 19 months - one year, seven months and two days to be exact, as he endured three knee operations.

Just when he thought his injury hell was behind him, a kidney stone diagnosis escalated to a full on infection that left him hospitalised, describing at the time that, “I was in so much pain I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

In total, his knee injuries and illness saw him miss 865 tortuous days of a career that had promised the prospect of senior England call-ups.

“It’s been hard but when I play in games I forget about some of the situations I have had in the past,” he said, speaking exclusively to LeicestershireLive.

“But I have done everything I possibly could to get to this point. I have worked hard and I think it has kind of paid off because I have obviously got myself back to good fitness and played quite a few games now this season, and that was the main aim to prove that I can still do it at this level, for sure.”

His experience of almost losing the occupation he holds so dear has brought about a more mature mentality, having come to cherish every day he ties up his boots and gets back out onto the pitch.

“Yes, every single day,” he agreed.

“I tried to explain to some of the young boys that when I was back at Leicester and I was doing some of my coaching badges stuff and it was kind of keeping me ticking over while I was injured.

“It was giving me a different thought process to think about something else other than my injuries because I was a distance away from playing due to the surgeries I was having, so Brendan Rodgers decided it would be good for me to start doing my badges.

“I tried to explain to them that you should enjoy every single day because you have no idea what could happen or what could be round the corner, as it was for me.

Better person

“I enjoy every day as if it’s my last because I have had so much time away from the game that I appreciate every game I play now. I also appreciate the training a lot more due to the fact that I have missed so much.

“So I think it has made me a better person in a way, and probably a more rounded person in terms of understanding the other side of the game, and not just on the pitch.

“I certainly understand what goes on off it just as much and that will stand me in good stead for the future, and that’s the positive spin that I have put on it.

“And hopefully I can play many more games before the end of my career.”

Explaining how his mid-term switch to Coventry came about and what convinced him it was the right move, he said: “It was one of those situations where talks at Barnsley were kind of on-going and stuttering a little bit and the feeling was that I was possibly going to come away from there due to circumstances I don’t really want to discuss.

“But the call came from Mark Robins and for me it was one of those situations where I knew my brother Reece had played against Coventry previously in League One for Doncaster Rovers and obviously I knew that the team they were then were on the front foot and the best team that he’d played.

Sold it to me

“I’d kept an eye on results of those that were in and around Barnsley, and Coventry were sitting nicely in the league. I knew they had some good players. I had seen them once or twice in the league and I knew that it was something I was looking at.

“And once I had spoken to Mark (Robins) and we had a discussion about the team, he just sold it to me really.

“And for me and my whole situation, which is about playing games and keeping a rhythm for my body, I didn’t really want to waste any time. I was excited about the opportunity that was coming about and I just took it.

 

“It was all very quick and it made my decision easy really within a couple of days, and it was definitely the right decision for my future and my football, and hopefully for Coventry City as well.

“And I have really enjoyed my time so far, and hopefully that can continue.”

So has he got any longer term plans?

“Not really because I have done that in the past by setting long-term goals and had injuries and things like that, and when I have not made them I’ve been that little bit more gutted and devastated about not making it.

“So for me it’s more about the present and taking each game as it comes and then assess the future as and when it gets a little bit closer.”

The future

Asked if it’s nice to know there could be something there in terms of a contract in the summer if the relationship between himself and Coventry continues to blossom, he said: “For sure, and that’s one of the conversations we had at the start that I appreciated because, certainly coming off the back of a short loan spell at Barnsley, before that it had been quite tough for me.

“And the fact that Coventry, the gaffer and this club were willing to talk about the future after the loan meant a lot to me after all the work that I’d put in.

“Like I said to the gaffer, it was a case of focusing on each game so I didn’t get distracted by anything else, but it did mean a lot and it will be a conversation that will possibly happen closer to the end of the season once I have played the games and hopefully done well for the club.”

City are currently six points off third from bottom Rotherham, whom they were due to face in a relegation six-pointer this weekend until a Covid-19 outbreak intervened in the Millers’ camp, forcing the match to be postponed.

So how confident is he that Coventry can pull away from danger?

“One hundred per cent,” he said, without a hint of hesitation.

“In the games I have seen so far chances are being created and if we can take them, sometimes maybe earlier in the game to put the opposition on the back foot, and keep that back door shut for longer periods and play the football I know Coventry can play, then we’ll create chances and hopefully take them and come away with more three points than losses.”

He added: “It’s been a really close knit group. The boys have been really good and welcomed me in. There’s a mix of youth and experience and that makes for a good group and good squad. But everyone is together and hopefully that will remain until the end of the season.”

That unity and camaraderie is something he’s enjoyed since first signing for the Foxes in 2012.

Having been at the club for almost a decade, it goes without saying that he has a great affinity with Leicester City.

Asked what the club means to him, he said: “It could be a whole new interview that would go on for a long, long time!

“It’s a club that means the absolute world to me in every single way.

Magnificent support

“The support I have received obviously on the pitch for my game time but then also the support I received off it through some of the difficult times that I have had has been incredible. And I think that shows what Leicester City is about.

“Certainly, things that people don’t see on a day to day basis is something I have seen on a regular basis. It’s a family orientated club and the support is magnificent.

“I could go into huge detail on people and individuals, and that’s something I will probably look to do in the future, but I can’t describe the thankfulness and the love I have got for the football club.

“It’s hard to put into words.”

So is it fair to say it’ll be difficult to leave this summer?

“Yes, it’s incredibly hard and when I think about things it’s been hard in terms of the games that I have missed, and I wish I could get them back. But that’s football and that’s what happens.

“I just think about the good times that I have had there and the learning curve that I have actually been on there has made me a better person just in general.

Incredible

“I have had a lot of life skills from some of the things I have had to go through there, but the support and the fans have been incredible.”

As for a message to the Foxes faithful, he said: “Just a huge thank-you. I can’t put into words the support I have had.

“There were two times that I came back from two serious injuries and serious lay-offs that were no fault of my own, and that’s been hard to take because I have tried to do everything right throughout my whole career in terms of every single part of my recovery and food – every part of it has been to try to be the very best athlete I possibly could be and sometimes your body just had genetic issues or just bad luck.

“There were two instances; I came back from my knee injury and the crowd was incredible. And then I came back again for a second time and I wondered if it would be a case of them giving up on me, but the response was even bigger again.

“So I can’t thank the fans enough for that and, like I say, it’s something I will go into bigger detail in the future.

“But massive thanks.”

Continuing to keep a close interest in his parent club, James firmly believes they can keep driving to the end.

“They have been pushing all the way and with the squad they have got and the recruitment they have had over the last 18 months, the way Brendan and his staff have come in and turned the mentality around in terms of winning games at the top end of the league and become a sustainable team in the top four/top six area, there’s no reason why they can’t keep it going and reach the goals that they have set, and finish in the top four, top two.”

King Power Stadium under floodlights (Image: Northcliffe Media Ltd.)
Cutting the apron strings is going to be hard, that’s for sure, when time is finally called on his career with the Foxes.

But at Coventry City there appears to be an opportunity to start a whole new chapter, to continue to make up for lost time, starting with a triumphant return to the city which bears its name.

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

I'm pleased he's playing footie regularly again. At his pomp I think he was a Prem level player. But I've not doubt if he can stay fit he will hold his own in the championship for a good few years.

[foxile5]

The way the club has looked after him is admirable; the way he has demonstrated resilience is impressive. 

 

[Corky]

Really good piece. I hope he can stay fit and still have five or so years playing regularly. Was a horrible moment when he went down without contact against Southampton- to then miss out on a title medal whilst injured must've been so tough.

 

Glad he's playing regularly and playing well.

[UniFox21]

11 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

The way the club has looked after him is admirable; the way he has demonstrated resilience is impressive. 

 

To come back from the number of injuries and setbacks he's had and to still have the drive to play is really impressive

[foxile5]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

To come back from the number of injuries and setbacks he's had and to still have the drive to play is really impressive

Oh yeah 100%.

 

No doubt someone will come along to call him all sorts of names but I've nothing but admiration for him. 

[UniFox21]

11 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

Oh yeah 100%.

 

No doubt someone will come along to call him all sorts of names but I've nothing but admiration for him. 

Exactly the same from me, people will complain that the club continued to pay him etc. But I hold the club in higher regard because of it. 

 

Many would've given up and it takes guts to carry on when it looked impossible. 

[Collymore]

At first glance it might seem odd that we've had him on our books for so long injured and then as soon as he's fit and playing regularly we've let him go. We've simply moved on to a new level since we offered him that contract and I'd imagine our targets and goals have changed massively, hence why King had to be moved on too. 

 

Players bring more to the club than just playing football and from the little snippets you get to hear it sounds like James is the consomate professional and he will be a miss.

 

All the best for the future Matty.

 

[MPH]

What a role model! Great attitude and a consummate professional.

Edited 13 March 2021 by MPH

[Corky]

1 hour ago, UniFox21 said:

Exactly the same from me, people will complain that the club continued to pay him etc. But I hold the club in higher regard because of it. 

 

Many would've given up and it takes guts to carry on when it looked impossible. 

I think there was also pragmatism involved. James signed a new deal four years ago and played a fair bit under Shakespeare in his short tenure at the start of the season- he could've become a key player again. If not, we still had the possibility to get a fee for him if he was surplus to requirements.

 

Unfortunately, we'll never know how close or not he was to being a first-team regular again because of the injuries and setbacks. It does seem odd, looking now, at why we gave him such a long deal but we didn't know exactly how it would've turned out. He clearly wants to play football judging by the fact he's taken loan spells.

[ARM1968]

Go on Matty. Lad deserves a break 

[Mike Oxlong]

Can’t believe he’s only 29. Seems like he’s been on the treatment table for the last 15 years 

 

Hope things go well for him 

[cruzFOX]

he's a good lad our Matty is and a good player on his day. What a tough break he's had. I'm sure he would have reached loftier heights if it weren't for the injuries.

Glad our club has looked after him as they should. Thats who we are - we are Leicester!

[WigstonWanderer]

Wonder what happened at Barnsley that he didn’t want to talk about?

 

Anyway wish him all the best for the future.

[HybridFox]

At the Q&A with Brendan a couple of years ago, he said Matty James was one of the players he had the best relationship with in the squad. Consummate professional it seems and can only wish the guy the best of luck for the future 

[Jazzy_Jeff]

As others have said I really wish he stays fit and enjoys the rest of his career.

 

Was a great player for us in the championship and 1st year back in the premier league.

 

Seems a good lad and a good professional. Wish him well 

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, TK95 said:

At the Q&A with Brendan a couple of years ago, he said Matty James was one of the players he had the best relationship with in the squad. Consummate professional it seems and can only wish the guy the best of luck for the future 

...I  suspect that the same situation that was happening to James was what Rodgers went through!!!

  It is not surprising, it would have been like talking to his younger self. Rodgers encouraged him to take his badges and that was an astute move to give him goal and a diversion from his injuries.

[OntarioFox]

Good luck to you Matty. An example for many young pros of how to be pragmatic - and determined - in coping with setbacks like long-term injury.

Great to see he's been doing coaching badges, too. With folks like him, Morgan and (I think) King all getting a foot in the door, we'll have a nice little market of ex-pros who know this club like the back of their hand, should we ever be looking for coaches or managers in years to come. 

[Nalis]

Four more years

[Clever Fox]

A great signing for any Club, He brings so much experience both good nd bad. Winning the Championship. Playing alongside the Legends Cambiaso, Vardy, Mahrez. Etc.

 

Yes he has so much he can offer a young team or any young player.

 

I wish him well for the future,  Somehow I don't think his Leicester Story is finished yet. I think he may be back in years to come.

[Bert]

Mad to think that he’s been here for that long. Injuries make it seem so much less. That season he had when we won the championship & the back end of the great escape before his injury. He was immense. 

[Bryn]

Glad the club have taken care of him until he was able to go and play regularly somewhere else.

[Dan]

Bristol City. It's got to be.

[Corky]

3 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

Bristol City. It's got to be.

Wouldn't be shocked at this. If Pearson stays, and he's up to another year, I wouldn't rule out Morgan going there too.

[funkyrobot]

Great article and backs up his rep as a good guy and popular within the ranks of LCFC. Always remember when England selected Drinky and I thought, just wait until you see what Matty James can do. Sad that injuries denied him so many opportunities with us but when he did play he was quality. I hope he continues to stay fit.