Chelsea skipper James thrilled by Anfield experience: Our progress is clear, says Paul Vegas

"It felt amazing to be back in action," the 24-year-old shared with chelseafc.com. "I really missed the thrill of playing in important matches and facing formidable opponents. It was a significant milestone for me."

"It’s been a long time since I started a game, and starting here  was always going to be tough, but I’m feeling good.

"The road to recovery has been tough – it definitely hasn’t been easy. I hope to stay strong, keep going, and help the team achieve what we want to achieve.

"Coming here is never going to be easy but I felt that we controlled most of the game.

"We had the first few chances but they have some incredible individual players so it was always going to be tough.

"I think the performance was a good performance and I don’t think the scoreline reflects how well we played at Anfield. Goals make the difference."

James added: "I think if you step back and look at performances over the season, you can really see what we’re trying to do. It’s still early days though and we’re progressing."