As our skipper, Reece James will be continuing a long tradition by writing directly to the fans in his captain’s notes in the matchday programme for every game at Stamford Bridge. Below you can read the first of those open letters, from the programme for our Premier League opener against Liverpool.

• If you want to keep reading James’ notes throughout the season, every issue of the matchday progamme is available to purchase around the stadium on matchdays or order online here.
  

Being named Chelsea captain was one of the greatest feelings I have had in my life. I’ve been at this club since I was six and it was always a dream of mine to take on this role. It has probably come sooner than I expected, as it doesn’t feel like I’ve been in the first team that long, but I am super excited to be taking on the captaincy of this great club.

I want to pay tribute to Azpi, who was a great captain here for many years. He did a lot for this club, he won every piece of silverware possible and he was well respected by everyone. It was always difficult that we played the same position because I wouldn’t often get to play alongside him – only one right-back can play in most systems – but he helped me a lot, both on and off the pitch. The way he represented Chelsea over the course of the 11 years he spent here was magnificent.

Of course, John Terry was skipper for many years during my time in the Academy, and Gary Cahill for a spell after him. I always looked up to them and saw how they did things around the place, and hopefully I can take on the mantle and continue the great leadership they showed in this role.

The supporters have been so good to me since I first came through here and it’s massively important to me to have this channel to communicate with you all directly every home game. It’s a great tradition and one I’m proud to be taking on. Our fans are the best in the world and every time I play at Stamford Bridge they are incredible. A lot of you travel far and wide to be with us away from home as well, and I think this season is going to be great for the players and fans alike.

It’s been great working with Mauricio since he came in. Training has been super tough, but it’s been to our advantage because everyone is saying they feel like they’re in the best shape of their careers. I think that says a lot about the work we’ve been doing and it should help us a lot in the weeks and months ahead.

It’s been a good pre-season. We met our fans in the USA and we had lots of high-level games out there. We won the Premier League Summer Series and I feel like we’ve been building and moving in the right direction with every week.

This is a young squad with a bright future. I read the other day that the average age is 23 or 24, which is something you don’t see too often, but it’s exciting. We have a great group here and I think we can achieve big things. At the end of the day, we’re Chelsea Football Club and we always set out to win the Premier League at the start of the season, and aim to win every game that comes our way.

None of us can wait for the opening game and it’s a huge fixture to start with. Liverpool are a side that have been near to the top of the table ever since I stepped into the first team four years ago. It’s going to be a tough match but we’ve prepared well and we’re looking forward to going out there in front of our fans and getting started this afternoon.

Reece James

• You can hear from Reece James in his captain's notes in the matchday programme for every home game