England wonderkid Lauren James has what it takes to be the best player in the world.
That’s according to stars past and present, including Lionesses legend Kelly Smith and her brother, Chelsea star Reece.
5
5
At 21 years of age, James has already won two domestic doubles with Chelsea as well as a Women’s Finalissima trophy and Arnold Clark Cup with England.
Earlier this year, she was named Young Player of the Year at the London Football Awards.
And the accolades could well continue piling up if she stars in Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Women’s World Cup Preview show, former Leeds star Lucy Ward said: “She has the potential to be the best player in the world.”
And ex-England star Claire Rafferty told talkSPORT in March that she too was expecting great things from the striker.
“She’s unpredictable and that’s why she’s so dangerous and I’d like to see that continue. Sometimes, you can almost train that out of someone, but you don’t want that from Lauren James. She’s fearless. That is quite scary to defend against,” said Rafferty.
England and Arsenal legend Smith also weighed in: “She’s that little gem that doesn’t come around too often and we’re fortunate enough that she’s English and she’ll be gracing the pitch for years to come for the Lionesses.”
But perhaps her biggest fan is her older brother, who also plays for Chelsea.
5
5
In a Twitter Q&A last December, he said: “Super proud of [Lauren]!! She inspires me everyday and will continue to.
“I believe she is the best women footballer in the world, and will be for the next 10-15 years, without doubt. She’s technically better than some Prem players,”
Having made her Arsenal debut at just 16 years old, James made the move to the newly-formed Manchester United women’s side in 2018 where she helped them to a Women’s Championship title as they earned promotion to the Women’s Super League.
After three successful years with the Reds, she signed a four-year contract with Chelsea in 2021 and has thrived under the guidance of manager, Emma Hayes.
She only made her England debut in September 2022, but standout performances at the Arnold Clark Cup earlier this year saw her win Player of the Tournament and cement her place in the England setup.
5
This will be England’s first major tournament with the Lionesses and James’ first real opportunity to show what she can do at an international level.
The striker scored five times for Chelsea in their WSL-winning season and scored her first international goal against South Korea earlier this year.
Her Chelsea and England teammate Niamh Charles is also set to appear at her first World Cup and she told talkSPORT why James will prove to be such a nightmare for defenders at the tournament.
She said: “I think her ability to keep the ball so close to her [is unique]. In games, two or three defenders try and get near her and they’re not able to. It’s a unique talent.”
And if James realises her potential on the biggest stage as her plaudits claim she could, football might well be coming home again for England.
You can follow live commentary of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on the talkSPORT network, with our coverage kicking off on Saturday with England vs Haiti on talkSPORT at 10.30am
