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 higher.
Timber has established himself as some of the necessary 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 flawed since then, making 48 appearances last season and an extra 32 to date this term.
Timber helped Mikel Arteta’s side challenge for the Premier League title last 12 months and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Arsenal are heading in the right direction to go one higher this term, sitting 4 points clear at the highest 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 12 months but insists he’s a rung below Stamford Bridge star Reece James.
England international James has been a mainstay within the Chelsea team since graduating from the academy in 2018, making over 200 appearances for his boyhood club.
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James has struggled with reoccurring injury setbacks but when fit is thought to be among the best right-backs on this planet.
The 26-year-old has often played in midfield as a consequence of his comfort on the ball and Morris says he can be the ‘best right back on this planet together 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’d still be alright,’ Morris told AceOdds.
‘He used to laugh but I used to be deadly serious! He’s only a gifted player. It will possibly sometimes go against him how good he’s in multiple different roles.
‘I got asked in regards to the Premier League Team of the 12 months the opposite day and I put Timber at right-back. Timber’s not a greater right-back than Reece James, but he’s playing there on a regular basis.
‘For me, if Reece plays right-back the vast majority of the time, he’ll be the very best right-back on this planet together with Hakimi.
‘I get it when you have got a player of that level who can fill in numerous positions once you need him, but I felt there have been times when he played in midfield when he was higher suited to being the very best right-back within the league.
‘None of this surprises me with Reece. I’m just really pleased that his injuries have stayed away for over a 12 months now.
‘He’s looking fitter than ever, and long may it proceed since it’ll help us with England having a probability in the summertime.’
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