Lauren James looks a superstar in the making – and holds key to England retaining title

Telegraph

3 days ago

If the World Cup in Australia two years ago announced Lauren James's arrival as an exciting prospect on the international stage, this European Championship has confirmed her as a headline act.
James is a joy to watch; a golden talent lighting up a major tournament in a way very few players can.
She made it look effortless in the 6-1 rout of Wales; a Sunday evening stroll, playing with a freedom of expression and the imagination of an artist enjoying their work. Like an actor who constantly improvises, you are never sure what will happen next, but you would be foolish to avert your gaze.
The 23-year-old is one of those rare talents who can make things other players would not dream of doing, look simple. Difficult tricks turned into routine pieces of skill. There is no greater compliment you can pay a professional athlete than that.
She was, at times, playing a game that looked different to everyone else and did it without appearing like she was even trying particularly hard. You know you are seeing something special when that happens.
It was not the jinking runs that showed us how good James is. It was not the drop of the shoulder to burst away from her marker or the crosses delivered with either foot that illustrated how much damage she can cause.
It was when she stood perfectly still, with her studs on the ball on the right touchline. Having tormented the Wales defenders with her close control, speed and strength, James slowed the game down to a halt.
She may as well have been standing there with a hand on her hip, goading one of the Wales players to try and take the ball from her.
LAUREN HEMP MAKES IT 3 FOR ENGLAND!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/p54lJ27AXq
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 13, 2025
No Wales player moved. They stood there too, unable to make a tackle, unwilling to dive in for fear of James making them look stupid if they did. England's young winger had done so much damage, psychologically, in the first half an hour of play that she had terrified the opposition into a state of paralysis.
I have seen this happen before on a football pitch, but it is rare and can only be pulled off by those with rapid footwork and a powerful burst of speed. James has those qualities in abundance.
However, having halted the game and dared someone to restart it by challenging her, James waited for Ella Toone to make a move, before playing a rolled, no-look pass into her path. The Welsh defence reacted too slowly, bewitched by James. Toone's cross on the run was excellent and Lauren Hemp was there to head home at the far post. It put England in total control of the game at 3-0 with an hour still to play.
James did not celebrate wildly, she just jogged back to the halfway line after a few high fives and pats on the back, blissfully unaware of what all the fuss was about. That is all part of her charm.
James probably knows how good she is – her manager and team-mates certainly do – but there is no bounce or swagger to go with it. It is an innocence; a pure love of playing the game. Those who know her best talk of a quiet, shy person. An introvert who does not say too much and does not crave attention. She does not need to say a lot when she plays like this and England will keep her hidden from the public glare as much as possible.
But she is too good and too fun to watch to remain in the shadows. With this level of talent, the younger sibling of Chelsea star Reece is a star ready to break into the mainstream.
She left the pitch in St Gallen to a standing ovation from England and Wales fans alike. Withdrawn around the hour mark to keep her fresh for the quarter-final against Sweden on Thursday, James sauntered off, sheared a brief word with manager Sarina Wiegman and then, with the faintest of smiles, found a seat on the bench to watch the rest of the second half.
Keep James free of the injuries that have annoyingly disrupted her career to this point and England have their point of difference in this tournament.
With the draw for the knockout rounds falling in their favour, the reigning champions look dangerous again and have one of the players of the tournament in their ranks. We needed new stars to emerge this summer for England and James is filling that role perfectly.