Lauren James: England forward is like a video game 'cheat code', says captain Leah Williamson

1 year ago 50

What is the champion mode to sum up Lauren James' power for England? Captain Leah Williamson has borrowed a operation from the gaming world.

"I deliberation she's a cheat code," Williamson said. "I bask being connected the aforesaid squad arsenic her."

James has had to beryllium diligent for an England accidental - she lone made her afloat planetary debut past September - but is grabbing it now. The 21-year-old guardant has often been Chelsea's prima this season, and strengthened her claims for a spot successful Sarina Wiegman's World Cup starting line-up with different awesome show against South Korea connected Thursday.

Her relation successful the 4-0 triumph successful England's Arnold Clark Cup opener was different objection of her increasing stature arsenic she scored her archetypal planetary goal, aft winning a first-half penalty.

"The miss is incredible," Williamson said, "so let's springiness her arsenic overmuch enactment arsenic we can."

'Everyone has been waiting for this superstar'

England, beardown favourites against South Korea, were met with a stubborn antiaircraft artifact successful Milton Keynes and James provided the cardinal to overcoming it.

Her weaving tally led to a punishment that Georgia Stanway converted earlier England took complaint successful the 2nd fractional and cruised to victory, helped by James' thumping onslaught successful the 78th minute.

"Everyone knows the prime that LJ's got. Technically she's astir apt 1 of the champion determination is," said Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze.

"It's brainsick that she's truthful young due to the fact that this is the subordinate that everyone has been talking astir for 5 years now. Everyone has been waiting for this superstar and it's breathtaking to beryllium present now.

"I'm definite she'll people plentifulness much goals, triumph plentifulness much subordinate of the lucifer [awards] and triumph much games for England successful the future."

James connected Ballon d'Or ambitions and the World Cup

'She feels bully and you tin tell'

James' vocation truthful acold has been punctuated with wounded but this has been a breakout play astatine Chelsea, with the erstwhile Manchester United striker scoring 7 goals successful 17 games.

Blues' brag Emma Hayes believes determination is inactive betterment to travel - an breathtaking imaginable for England if truthful - and it is wide James is enjoying her football.

"She feels bully and you tin tell," said Wiegman.

"She has been a endowment of people for a agelong time. She conscionable needed to beryllium disposable and person that clip astatine Chelsea. I anticipation she gets consistency, stays acceptable and keeps enjoying herself."

James is lone six caps into her England career, but has settled into beingness arsenic a afloat planetary - helped by her manager and team-mates.

She said: "[Wiegman's] fixed maine state and it's a recognition to the team, they've made maine consciousness invited and erstwhile you consciousness invited you're capable to beryllium yourself and I showed that."

Against South Korea, James was heavy involved, with 80 touches successful full and completing 27 of her 28 passes successful the last third.

Her work-rate was awesome too. She won the shot backmost connected 10 occasions, created 3 chances and was progressive successful the build-up to Alessia Russo's clever extremity for England's 3rd connected the night.

Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live: "She has been specified a pleasance to watch. She looks similar she is playing with state and assurance and is blessed to enactment it connected display.

"Maybe successful the past she has been apprehensive to afloat explicit that."

'Is she undroppable for England?'

But James is inactive being reminded to enactment humble. She broke into the squad aft England's Euro 2022-winning campaign, and knows determination is beardown contention for places.

Establishing herself volition beryllium crucial. Wiegman is not 1 to tinker with enactment - the Lionesses were unchanged astatine the Euros, becoming the archetypal squad successful the tournament's past to sanction the aforesaid starting line-up for each game.

Injured Ballon d'Or runner-up Beth Mead could inactive return from an anterior cruciate genu ligament wounded successful clip for the World Cup, which starts successful July successful Australia and New Zealand.

Manchester City's Lauren Hemp has been a regular since Wiegman's arrival, portion Chloe Kelly is continuing to impress, besides scoring successful the 4-0 triumph implicit South Korea.

"It's not the World Cup yet. Last play she didn't play a batch and was inactive building. This twelvemonth she is playing much and more," said Wiegman.

"But we person much players that are truly good. We person truthful galore attacking players that are truly good. We person opportunities."

Former England striker Ian Wright told ITV4: "Without a uncertainty [James is stating her lawsuit to commencement for England regularly]. Starting regularly for Chelsea stands her successful bully stead.

"We've inactive got Lauren Hemp to travel backmost successful but erstwhile James is putting successful performances similar this and she is doing what she is doing each week... She did everything successful that game."

Everton midfielder Izzy Christiansen asked: "Is it excessively acold to accidental she is undroppable for England?"

Based connected caller performances, it is hard to suggest otherwise.

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