Spennymoor’s boss was in charge at Marske United at the time but had coached James in the Middlesbrough academy ranks and called to check in on the talented goalkeeper.
And for James, it was an incredibly meaningful moment, for it was a reminder to the youngster that someone in football was thinking about him.
After an incredibly challenging injury battle, which left James feeling incredibly lonely and at the time felt like it had “ruined his life”, the keeper feared his career was over.
But Lee’s call was a lifeline and the pair would eventually reunite at Spennymoor Town.
Today, James plays at Wembley in the FA Trophy final.
“It’s going to be surreal and amazing,” says the 25-year-old.
“And to have my family and friends there, who’ve seen what I’ve been through, it’s going to be special.”
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Five days out from the Trophy final and James is telling his story to reporters prior to Spennymoor’s penultimate training session ahead of the game.
Before he tells of the nightmare he’s overcome in recent years, he’s laughing about the scare he’s faced in the last couple of weeks.
He shows on his phone a picture of himself from a couple of days earlier, his jaw swollen as though he’s been in the ring with Oleksandr Usyk.
“It was my wisdom tooth,” he says.
“I had it out last Monday and they said it would be fine in a few days.”
It wasn’t. It ended up infected and James faced a mad dash to get some antibiotics over the Bank Holiday weekend. The race was on but the swelling has now settled. Scare over. He can laugh about it.
But for James, it didn’t feel like there was much to laugh or smile about a couple of years ago.
Turn back the clock to the summer of 2021 and James was Hartlepool United‘s penalty hero, saving the spot-kick in the play-off final at Ashton Gate and winning Pools promotion back to the Football League.
He returned to Boro after his loan spell and was very much in and around the first team fold, playing 45 minutes in the first friendly of the summer when Neil Warnock was in charge.
But disaster struck when James suffered a broken ankle in training. Five different operations followed in the next two-and-a-half years, a period in which the goalkeeper hit rock bottom.
“Where do I begin?,” he says, looking back.
“It wasn’t just the football, it took over my whole life. It just completely ruined my life.
“Every day I went into Middlesbrough with the sole objection of getting back fit and playing football again. There were times when I was thinking never mind football, I might not be able to run pain free again.
“My family, my friends and my girlfriend helped me through. But no matter who you have around you, it’s still so lonely.
“I don’t mind saying it, I was speaking to sports psychologists but after all those sessions the one thing I knew would help me was getting back playing football.
“It just leaves such a void. It’s all I’d known from when I was 12 through to 21.
“In my head I was ready to step into the first team environment at Middlesbrough. I stepped up after going back from Hartlepool, played the first pre-season game under Neil Warnock and I was thinking I had a chance.
“Then that happened and it all just comes crashing down.
“I just stuck it out and went in day in day out and eventually, after the fifth operation, I had all the screws and plates that were in my ankle taken out, and another seven or eight months down the line following that I managed to return and feel good again.
“It seems like the distant past now. I just feel like a different person.
“I maybe don’t reflect on it as much now as I should but psychologically I don’t even want to recall how miserable and tough that time was. I just want to move on with my life and career.”
James was still a year out from being ready to return to action when he got the call from Lee.
“He was at Marske and he rang me saying if I ever need games, he’s there for me,” said James.
“I remember coming off the phone and thinking bloody hell, I really appreciate that. It was a time of my life when I felt so lonely and I needed that call.
“I remember saying to my dad, ‘a manager has just been on the phone and wants me to go and play for him!’. That felt amazing.
“Even now, I get emotional thinking about it. I felt forgotten about but he rang me. Then he went to Spennymoor and it fell into place.
“I did go on trial at Salford and they offered me something but it was pretty ridiculous what they offered me. So I thought go and play National League North, get some minutes and see what happens.
“I’ve really enjoyed it here so far and there’s a good chance I’ll be here next year, and if I am I’ll be really happy.”
There’s a balance to James’ life and career now. He’s studying business and economics but his priority is still football and he still has ambitions to play at a higher level in the future.
“My life is still feared towards football and full time,” he said.
“How did it feel going through all that with the injury? It was bloody difficult, there’s no way to sugar coat it.
“But I learnt a lot, I’ve grown a lot. I’ve always been quite philosophical not just about football but life and that time has helped me appreciate what I’ve got.
“I still have ambitions to go and play at a higher level and full time football, but you have to prove it.
“There’s maybe not as much load in part time football but when you are full time you’re training every day so you’re maybe that bit sharper. It’s very much a mental thing to try and stay on top of your game as much as possible.
“You want to not just do well for Spennymoor but progress yourself, whether that’s with Spennymoor and winning promotion or signing for a different club in the future, you have to put in the performances.
“Just because I’ve come from Middlesbrough doesn’t mean I should be playing at this level. You have to prove it every week.
“I’m talking now about wanting to play at a higher level but I’m just so grateful to be playing.
“And to the gaffer for making that call. It meant so much. Him making that call…having someone thinking about me at that time, I’ll never forget it.”
