Lucy Bronze: 'I can help keep Lauren James' feet on the ground'

Four-time Champions League victor Lucy Bronze has taken Lauren James nether her wing

England defender Lucy Bronze says she tin assistance support Lauren James' "feet connected the ground" and has formed a beardown enslaved with the Chelsea star.

She has 3 goals and 3 assists successful arsenic galore games and manager Sarina Wiegman said she did "special things".

"We person formed a bond. We are successful akin situations," said Bronze.

"I was thrust into the limelight successful a antithetic way, but I tin assistance springiness her advice. I tin assistance support her feet connected the ground, but she is bully astatine that anyway.

"She's someone, similar myself, who gets misinterpreted a small spot by different players oregon the media due to the fact that she hasn't ever got a grin connected her face.

"When she came into her archetypal campy she was already asking maine a batch of questions astir things that different players didn't ask.

"She reminds maine truthful overmuch of myself erstwhile I was younger. She is shy, but she believes successful herself a lot."

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Bronze, 31, has won astir each trophy successful her nine vocation and has appeared successful 5 large tournaments for England, making 108 appearances.

She made a sanction for herself astatine the 2015 World Cup erstwhile she scored important goals en way to the past four, claiming the right-back spot from Alex Scott successful the process.

"I can't expect LJ (James) to people successful each crippled and crook successful performances similar she did against China each game. She is inactive young and she's inactive getting to grips with playing astatine the highest level," said Bronze.

"But you person seen her astatine Chelsea and she has delivered immoderate fantastic performances. I cognize however overmuch prime she has. She has decidedly announced herself connected the satellite stage, but this is conscionable the beginning."

'We've had to beryllium adaptable'

James' occurrence against China was the item of an exciting show by England, who switched to an unfamiliar set-up of 3 astatine the backmost to combat the lack of injured midfielder Keira Walsh.

The Lionesses played with the aforesaid starting XI successful each crippled astatine Euro 2022, but Bronze believes they person adapted to woody with tougher absorption successful Australia.

There are lone six players from that broadside presently disposable with striker Ellen White retiring, arsenic good arsenic injuries to Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby, Beth Mead and Walsh.

"People wanted it to beryllium the same, but it was ne'er going to be. We've had to beryllium adaptable and we person shown we tin be," said Bronze.

"Keira is irreplaceable and determination isn't anyone who tin bash what she does successful the world. So it's not conscionable tearing up the formation.

"But you could spot successful the archetypal 2 games that we needed to spruce things up a bit. We person shuffled things astir a small spot and it keeps different teams connected their toes.

"They don't cognize what to expect - it makes america unpredictable. If Keira does travel backmost and plays, who is to accidental however we volition play? We mightiness support this enactment with her successful it.

"We needed to beryllium unpredictable. We needed to refresh things. You request that successful the knockout rounds."