Some people are blessed with a natural talent and it’s clear to anyone who has watched Chelsea and England forward Lauren James, hers is football.
The beautiful game runs in her veins. It is well documented that her brother, Reece, is captain of the men’s side – the pair recently announced an extension to their deals with the Blues – and her dad is a UEFA-licensed coach.
But make no mistake – her innate ability has been supported with years of hard work since she walked through the doors of Chelsea’s Cobham training base at the age of six. Talent might be one thing, but like any craft, it takes plenty of effort to make it a success.
That has been consistently rewarded during her career too. On Sunday, she put in a Player of the Match performance to help Chelsea win another League Cup title, beating her former side Manchester United 2-0 at Ashton Gate. “That’s what this club’s about – winning trophies,” James said of the victory.
She scored a superb goal in that game – her third of the season – and prompted Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor to call her ‘one of the best in the world’. Pundits have earmarked the 24-year-old as having the potential to be so, and she is already in the conversation.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lauren James scored for Chelsea against Manchester United in the Women’s League Cup final
James always seems to be a step ahead. Not only does she have pace and skill, she can read the game a beat before those around her, making that decisive pass or movement that leaves opponents struggling to keep up.
At times, she has been criticised for not doing enough defensively, but that has markedly improved in the last 18 months. In the League Cup final, no Chelsea player recovered the ball more times than James (10). Put everything together, and she’s unplayable.
But as one of the coolest characters in football, James lets little faze her both on and off the pitch. When asked about the praise she received after Sunday’s game and her talent, she takes a thoughtful pause.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Women’s League Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United
“It’s great to hear, but I’m quite a relaxed person. I don’t really let the hype get to me,” James exclusively told Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s WSL game at London City Lionesses.
“But it’s nice that people think so highly of me. I just need to stay consistent with it, keep working hard and hopefully, I back those comments up.
“I think football becomes natural for me – I don’t really think about what I’m doing on the pitch. It just happens.
“If you overthink football, you probably end up playing the opposite to how you actually want to play.”
A talent likes James’ needs space across the front line. Under Bompastor at Chelsea, she has largely played off the left – the position she thinks is her best – but relishes being able to find different areas that open up to use her skills effectively.
She explained: “I don’t actually mind the positions as long as I’ve been given freedom, which allows me to roam. I go into multiple positions in a game, but maybe one of my best is coming off the left wing.
“I’ve been quite lucky in that respect because the managers that I’ve worked under, they’ve let me do that. Even with England, Sarina’s allowed me to roam as well and get into the spaces that I need. It’s also credit to the teammates around me because they also fill in the spaces if I disappear.”
It’s perhaps no surprise then that, given her clear importance to Chelsea, that she recently signed a new four-year deal. It was announced in tandem with Reece’s own new contract – something that was planned together with the James siblings and the club.
Saturday 21st March 11:30am
Kick off 12:00pm
“We’ve been here since we were young and it’s quite unique to have siblings to both sign again on the same day,” she said.
“Even to be playing at this level in the same club is special, so to do it on the same day was nice for my family. Chelsea is all we have ever known.
“Even when I went away in between, I always knew that I would come back home to Chelsea. I just love the club.”
One thing James will want to improve on – if such a thing can be – is keeping herself fit for an extended period. She has suffered injuries in recent months which have affected her playing time for club and country.
In fact, her start for England in the recent international break against Iceland was her first for the Lionesses since the victorious Euro 2025 final last summer.
Lauren James started for England in their recent World Cup qualifying win against Iceland
“It’s frustrating to be injured. You never want to be watching on the sidelines, especially because you don’t do it on purpose,” James added.
“I have a good support network around me and a good place to come to at Cobham that helps me stay on track. It’s also an opportunity to work on the other weaknesses [in terms of injury].”
Chelsea will be hoping to have James available for the latest block of games, which sees them play every few days as they compete in the WSL, FA Cup and Champions League.
They face fellow English side Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the latter, with the first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday, followed by the return fixture at Stamford Bridge the following week.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Brighton.
There was a similar situation last year, where Chelsea faced Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Man Utd also remained in the competition, demonstrating the continued strength of WSL teams in Europe.
“It’s massive and I think it goes to show all the players coming over from Europe as well wanting to play in this league,” James said.
“It shows the direction it’s going, and that WSL teams are getting to the later stages.
“It’s weird playing against an English team in the Champions League, I’d say, but it has that extra spice to it and it’s certainly the trophy that this club wants to win.”
More silverware is a realistic prospect for the Blues this season and, all being well, James will have another huge say in that success.
Watch London City Lionesses vs Chelsea in the WSL live on Sky Sports on Saturday from 11am; kick-off 12pm.
Leave a Reply