Jordan James is reflecting on the "chaos" of his past two seasons, which included playing under multiple managers and enduring a points deduction with relegated Leicester City. The conversation naturally turns to the daunting challenge of facing Paris Saint-Germain. If any team can amplify that chaos, it is the defending European champions. James faced them while on loan at Rennes in 2024-25, and he exhales as he recalls their blistering speed.
The Speed of PSG
"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 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. 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 willing to go at people and dribble. Even goal kicks, they're so aggressive. It's so hard to try and beat that first."
A Season of Upheaval at Leicester
James is speaking from the calm of his family home in Hereford, enjoying a beautiful day after a loan spell at Leicester that presented unique difficulties. The 21-year-old is widely regarded as one of the few players who performed well individually during an otherwise nightmarish season for the club. While it is impossible to predict the direction of a player like Khvicha Kvaratshkelia, the uncertainty of a points deduction in a relegation battle is a different beast entirely. The Leicester squad were constantly updated on proceedings, but that created the opposite challenge of needing to "shut it out." The season carried extra weight due to the 10-year anniversary of their sensational Premier League title win, but James says that was just more external noise.
"We just had to focus on what we could control. We 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 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 was our mindset."
Individual Growth Amidst Team Struggles
That mindset explains why James has attracted interest and why he feels the season was personally beneficial despite the challenges. There is a tinge of sadness, as James came to "love the club and the fans." "I'll forever be grateful for what they gave me. You build friendships and relationships with your teammates, and you're seeing them suffer because they've got longer contracts." Leicester's relegation means James has returned to Rennes for now, with an injury forcing him out of Wales' June international camp. Such discussion shows he has already experienced a lot for a 21-year-old. He has had nine different managers across three seasons at three clubs, none with stable environments, during the crucial development ages of 19 to 21. This is reflected in his positional shifts from a goalscoring eight to a number six and back again.
Despite all that, he now enters matches "feeling I can affect them. How I feel at the moment is I'm good enough to change games." It was for such reasons, and a desire to develop, that James left Birmingham City for Rennes in summer 2024. "For me, going abroad has always been something I wanted to do. Not many players want to do it at the age I went. It sets you apart. And it helped me grow as a person. I was quite quiet before I went to Rennes. It helped me massively as a person, and also football-wise."
Cultural Differences and Adaptability
James' eyes light up as he recalls the French crowds. "The flares. Just being able to deal with those hostile environments compared to England." He was also struck by the different football culture. "They're really focused on the gym, which I wasn't expecting—all athletes, and really powerful. 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 that if you lose the ball, you're going to get punished." James admits he "struggled a bit mentally" due to the change at such a young age, which led to the loan closer to home at Leicester. "We're quite a close family." Nevertheless, he felt the benefit of greater confidence and personality.
His adaptability is evident in his midfield roles. On 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." James credits former Leicester coach Marti Cifuentes as "the first manager who's shown 100% trust" in him, 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 and Future Ambitions
Wales have certainly benefited. Although James could declare for England, he only ever felt Welsh. "Yeah, I don't think my dad would let me play for England." There is regret over just missing the World Cup after losing a play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he is optimistic. "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 anymore. They were 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 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.
