Former Player Remembers: James Chambers

Chambers and his brother Adam became the first twins to represent England at any level when they played for the Under-20s side in 1999. They also played together in the Premier League for West Bromwich Albion. James started by recalling how he began his professional career at the Hawthorns. 

He explained: “[Adam and I] had been asked to join West Brom from the age of 11 but my dad wouldn’t let us go. He wisely thought it would be best for us to stay with our local team and enjoy our football. He said that if we were any good they would still want us when we got older. 

"We had some good young players coming through like Daniel Gabbidon and Lloyd Dyer, who is well known at Leicester of course.” 

His progress won him international recognition: “When we were 18, Adam and I were selected for the England Under-20s for the Youth World Cup in Nigeria. Ashley Cole, Peter Crouch and Andy Johnson were in the team and the manager was Chris Ramsey. 

"The tournament didn’t go too well to be honest. There was a problem with security leading into the tournament so a few of the lads pulled out. We didn’t make it out of the group stages. But it was a great experience to go to Nigeria which was a different world with armed guards around the hotel and things like that. 

"We did a bit of charity work as well. I remember going to a school with my brother and giving a little talk there. It is something you remember and we both talk about it now to be honest.” 

Chambers made 78 appearances for the Baggies, who were promoted to the Premier League in 2001/02 and again in 2004. 

“I made my debut under Brian Little”, he added. “If it had been two years later it would have been a lot more difficult. We came through at the right time. Then Gary Megson came in. Luckily for us we were considered as part of the first team squad and helped get the club promoted to the Premier League." 

Reminded that he and Adam were the first twins to play together in a Premier League side, James continued: “With our know-how, ability and team togetherness, we were a good enough team to be out of the Championship but it is a different level in the Premier League. 

"There was probably more of a gap then than there is now. We struggled in the Premier League, went down in 2003 but then came back up again in 2004."

In August 2004, James moved to Watford for a fee of £250,000.

"I had been on loan to Championship side Watford for a month. It went very well and I enjoyed it so I signed. Ray Lewington was the manager. He later became Roy Hodgson’s number two for England. They had some really good players and there was a great atmosphere. 

“The year I went to Watford (2004/05) we got to the semi-final of the League Cup. We lost out narrowly to Liverpool. The year afterwards, we got promoted via the Play-Offs, defeating Leeds in the Final at the Millennium Stadium because Wembley was being rebuilt at the time. 

"It was another big occasion. The year after that we lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park. In October 2006, I spent a month on loan at Cardiff who, at the time, were top of the Championship. They had some very good players like [Jay] Boothroyd, [Michael] Chopra and [Riccardo] Scimeca. 

"I really enjoyed it there. They wanted me to stay but I was asked to go back to Watford in the Premier League. Then I got injured. I was probably playing the best football of my career but then, playing at Newcastle, I got a horrific tackle from Obafemi Martins. 

"I ended up with 13 stitches in my ankle and a skin graft which kept me out for a long period that season.” 

His time at Watford ended when he signed for Leicester City in June 2007. Chambers then found himself caught up in the turbulence caused by the appointment of three managers in one season [Martin Allen, Gary Megson and Ian Holloway] and a Club-record 40 players appearing in the first team. 

"There were some good young players at the Club like Andy King, Richard Stearman and Alan Sheehan but it didn’t gel, especially as there were so many manager changes that season." 

His Leicester City debut, against Blackpool on the first day of the season, was soon followed the dramatic League Cup game at Nottingham Forest when fellow full-back Clive Clarke suffered a near-fatal heart attack. 

“I played in that game. I was either sitting next to him or one down from him on the bench in the dressing room at half time. I remember seeing him slouching down. The next thing we knew he was flat out on the floor. It was a very traumatic situation. Very frightening. Thank God he made a recovery and he is with us today.” 

The match was abandoned with Nottingham Forest 1-0 ahead. Allen left the club the next day. James clearly remembers the replayed game. 

“I was thinking about this just the other day. Their goalkeeper [Paul Smith] was allowed to score unimpeded in the first minute. The Club got a lot of praise for this gesture. A lot of credit goes to the management for letting Forest have the goal. We won the match 3-2. 

“Gary Megson, who succeeded Martin Allen as manager, was only in post for six weeks and then Ian Holloway came in. It was difficult for the players with new managers trying to pick up from where other people had left off and put across new ideas."

At the end of the season, City were relegated to League One for the first and only time in their history. In the close season, James went to South Africa with the ex-Club Chaplain Bruce Nadin, who remains a good friend, to do some charity work. 

He then moved on to Doncaster Rovers, newly promoted to the Championship. 

“There was a clause in my contract allowing me to move on if Leicester got relegated," he added. "When I signed I thought that it was more likely that Leicester would be promoted. I did the pre-season working with the new manager, Nigel Pearson and [assistant] Craig Shakespeare. 

"Then the opportunity came to join Doncaster in the Championship. If I was to summarise my time at Leicester, I really enjoyed my time there. The changes of managers didn’t necessarily work well for myself especially towards the end of the season when Ian Holloway didn’t play me too much but I remember some highlights. 

“One was winning at Aston Villa in the League Cup. Another was losing 3-4 at Chelsea when we were 3-2 up with three minutes to go. It was heartbreaking not to get anything out of that game. We did ever so well. At the time, Frank Burrows was caretaker manager. 

"From memory, it was a patched-up squad as well. Gareth McAuley, Carl Cort and DJ Campell scored. We were very unlucky not to get something. These are all very fond memories. Also, from Leicester’s point of view, relegation to League One was the best thing that could have happened because that started the rebuilding process which has taken them on to where they are now. 

“One of the reasons I left Leicester was that it gave me the chance to catch up with my old youth team coach, Richard O’Kelly, who was then the assistant manager at Doncaster. He is now assistant manager at Brentford. He is a very good family friend of ours and somebody I have a lot of time and respect for.

"If you recall watching Doncaster’s games in that period, we played some unbelievable football. We didn’t have stand-out stars or players that people might remember, but the style of football was a joy to play in."

"Whether I will be playing next season, I’m not sure."