Kal Naismith, now Luton Town's inspirational skipper, has revealed he predicted Reece James would become a Chelsea great during their time together at Wigan Athletic. The former Rangers kid faces his old friend again on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge, where James is now club captain.
First Luton start was a disaster against James
Naismith's first start for Luton came in an FA Cup third round tie at Stamford Bridge during the Covid season, when he was deployed at left wingback, his least favourite role, against one of his best friends. The pair had been close since sharing a dressing room at Wigan in 2018/19.
“I was left wingback, a position I hate, up against Reece,” Naismith recalls. “I’d trained with him for a year, so I knew I couldn’t get by him - and knew I couldn’t get the ball off him! My first start for Luton and it was a disaster. We lost 3-1, but that was a good experience, even if there were no fans. I’m excited to go back there in front of a crowd.”
Naismith's predictions for James came true
Naismith, 34, claims he called every step of James's rise. “It’s funny - I’ve called everything that’s happened! At Wigan, I said he’d play for Chelsea, captain Chelsea and win the Champions League. To see him achieve it is incredible. To be fair, I was hardly a genius for spotting this!
“You couldn’t get the ball off him in training and knew Reece would be special. The last thing I told him is he WILL win a World Cup. He got close in the summer; I supported England when Scotland went out. Reece is the best right-back in the world. We spoke after the Cup draw and said it would be good to see each other.”
Return to Luton and backing from Jack Wilshere
After leaving Luton for Bristol City in 2022, Naismith missed the Hatters' promotion and Premier League season. He returned on loan in January 2025, then permanently six months later. Now he leads a squad aiming to escape League One, managed by his contemporary Jack Wilshere, also 34.
Naismith praised Wilshere for defending him during fan criticism last term. “You take the brunt of it; some of my performances weren’t great. The gaffer stood up, time after time, to say how important I was to the club. He was new in the job so, to win over that noisy minority, it would’ve been easier for him not to have my back as much in the media. But he was so strong in my defence. I feel I owe him a lot for that.”
Having made 21 Rangers appearances in 2012/13, scoring twice, Naismith admitted attitude problems cost him a career at Ibrox. He learned from Lee McCulloch, who led the club during a difficult period. “Jig was such a good man. But I was in a different head space - a young lad up to all sorts of mischief. I didn’t really understand the responsibility on his shoulders or how hard it was for him in that moment at Rangers. He went from training with elite players to a training ground full of kids. Jig was amazing, he kept spirits high and was great for us young lads.”
