Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea’s former assistant manager Jody Morris named Jurrien Timber in his Premier League Team of the Season but says he worked with a player at Stamford Bridge who was even better.
Timber has established himself as one of the most important players at Arsenal since his £38.5m move from Ajax in 2023.
The defender’s first season at Arsenal was curtailed by a serious injury but he has hardly put a foot wrong since then, making 48 appearances last season and a further 32 so far this term.
Timber helped Mikel Arteta’s side challenge for the Premier League title last year and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Arsenal are on course to go one better this term, sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League and having finished top of the Champions League group phase.
Frank Lampard’s former Chelsea assistant Morris named Timber in his Premier League Team of the Year but insists he is a rung below Stamford Bridge star Reece James.
England international James has been a mainstay in the Chelsea team since graduating from the academy in 2018, making over 200 appearances for his boyhood club.
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Chelsea and England star Reece James (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal’s £38.5m signing Jurrien Timber (Picture: Getty)
James has struggled with reoccurring injury setbacks but when fit is regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world.
The 26-year-old has often played in midfield due to his comfort on the ball and Morris says he would be the ‘best right back in the world along with [PSG star] Achraf Hakimi’ if that was his only role.
‘I used to joke with him [Reece James], saying if he played up front on Saturday you would still be alright,’ Morris told AceOdds.
Ex-Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris (Picture: Getty)
‘He used to laugh but I was deadly serious! He’s just a gifted player. It can sometimes go against him how good he is in multiple different roles.
‘I got asked about the Premier League Team of the Year the other day and I put Timber at right-back. Timber’s not a better right-back than Reece James, but he’s playing there all the time.
‘For me, if Reece plays right-back the majority of the time, he’ll be the best right-back in the world along with Hakimi.
‘I get it when you have a player of that level who can fill in different positions when you need him, but I felt there were times when he played in midfield when he was better suited to being the best right-back in the league.
‘None of this surprises me with Reece. I’m just really pleased that his injuries have stayed away for over a year now.
‘He’s looking fitter than ever, and long may it continue because it’ll help us with England having a chance in the summer.’
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