Reece James’ dad missed his record-breaking moment against Ajax as he was masterminding Hanworth Villa to a shock 3-2 victory against Gillingham in FA Youth Cup.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Nigel James said: “There was about ten minutes to go in our game and Gillingham were pushing for an equaliser when there was a large cheer in the stands.

“I looked round and a load of our supporters were shouting to me that Reece had scored. I was so proud but I had to hold my concentration until the end.

“Thankfully, the boys held on and I left the other coaches in the dressing room to celebrate while one of the supporters allowed me to watch the end of Chelsea’s game on their iPhone.

“You could see what it meant to Reece. He’s been at Chelsea since he was six years old and when you have been with a club that long it’s like family. A lot of passion came out in that celebration.

“I spoke to him on the phone after had left the ground and he was absolutely over the moon.”

James is regarded as one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects and it’s no surprise his father was a former player with Luton and Aldershot before forging a reputation as an accomplished coach and scout.

Indeed, the whole family is steeped in football as Reece’s elder brother Joshua was at Fulham and Reading while 18-year-old sister Lauren is starring for Manchester United and is being tipped to become one of the best female players in the world.

“I’ve tried to keep them all grounded over the years,’ says Nigel. ‘I’ve always been honest with what I thought about them as it’s important with all young players to keep it real.

“Reece was disappointed that I missed his last midweek game against Manchester United as we were playing Dover Athletic in the qualifying round and won 5-0. When the draw was made for us to play Gillingham I had to tell him I’d miss Ajax too. I don’t think he was too happy but he understood.

“It’s been frustrating for him lately not getting as many minutes as he’d like and I think he’s even been a little annoyed but, as I say to him, whether you are playing 90 minutes or one minute, be thankful you have that opportunity and make sure you have influence on the game.

“He played 46 games at Wigan Athletic last year. It was a great experience for him, he trained every week and knew he’d play at the weekend if he trained well. At Chelsea, that’s not so certain so it has required him finding a different mindset.

“It’s challenging but it’s all part of his development. Not many 19-year-olds will have this experience. The club knows he is a talent so he has to have patience and keep that work ethic.”

Photo Credit: Twitter @chelseafc.com