By Maisie Mcnulty 3/2/24
Above: Lauren James for Chelsea. Photo: Mariella Prew
Impetus71 looks at the career of Chelsea’s Lauren James and tracks how she has already emerged as a star of the game by age 22.
Lauren James’ journey into being one of Chelsea’s own star players started from a young age of six. Lauren James grew up with football being a big influence in her every day life. She grew up playing football with her two brothers in their garden almost every day aswell as going along to her brothers’ football training. At the age of six, Lauren James went to Cobham where she watched her brother (Reece James) play for Chelsea where she was asked if she wanted to play for the girls’ team.
Although Lauren James was training with Chelsea at the age of six she was unable to play in games until the age of eight. Therefore from the age of six she would play for a boys’ grassroots team, Epsom Eagles, as well as training at Chelsea. After turning eight, Lauren James spent her youth growing up in the Chelsea academy by being apart of the Under 10s to the under-14s level.
The talent that she held at such a young age caught the eye of many, including Pedro Martinez Losa (who at this time, was the coach of the Arsenal Womens senior team). Pedro Martinez Losa brought Lauren James (at the age of 14) to train with Arsenal women. Although she showed amazing ability and potential, Lauren James left Arsenal at age 15 and a half, partially due to requests from senior players who were not comfortable with the age gap.
Club Career
In 2018, at the ripe age of 16, Lauren James signed her first professional contract with Manchester United and made her debut in the women’s championship. In the 2018/19 season Lauren James went on to score 14 goals within 18 matches which helped Manchester United receive a promotion into the top tier of women’s football in England, The Women’s Super League. In 2019, James started of her season the same as the previous season, by scoring United’s opening goal of the season which led to a 2-0 against liverpool.
After a successful journey at Manchester United for two seasons, Lauren James technique and ability didn’t go unmissed. During her time at United, James was nominated and named the FA womens championship player of the month for september 2018. As well as ending the 2019/20 season as United’s top scorer and was named on the shortlist for the PFA Women’s Young player of the year.
In July 2021, James signed a four year contract and rejoined a former club, Chelsea. Within her debut season with the Blues, Lauren James went on to make 12 appearances as well as winning the league and FA cup double that season. During the 2021/22 season, James’ development and talent was recognised when she was nominated, for the second year in a row, for the PFA young player of the year award.
Throughout the 2022/2023 season Lauren James appearances more than doubled, with her having 33 appearances for chelsea and scoring eight goals in all competitions (five in the WSL). Many recognised James’ influential and powerful performances for Chelsea in the 2022/23 season, which led to her winning the young player of the year award at the Women’s Football Awards as well as the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year award.
In June 2023, Lauren James signed a new long-term contract with the blues that extends her stay at Chelsea until 2027. For the 2023/24 season, James started off her season with a bang by scoring her first hat trick in the WSL in a 5-1 win at home to Liverpool in November 2023. James put on yet another masterclass at the Bridge in Chelsea’s first game of the 2024 year when she pulled her second WSL hatrick out of her bag in a 3-1 win against her former club, Manchester United.
After the 21st January, the WSL hit the halfway mark, with 11 match days completed and 11 more to go. So far in the 2023/24 season throughout all competitions Lauren James has had 16 appearances, and 10 goals all which were scored in the WSL which equals to 1 goal per match. If Lauren James keeps consistent with her performance, she could be on her way to grabbing the 2023/24 WSL Golden boot however she will be battling alongside Manchester City forward, Khadija Shaw who has 12 goals so far in the WSL.
International Career
Lauren James made her first international duty in Englands youth team for the Under-17 team. James made her debut for England in a friendly against the USA in April 2017, and at age 16, she captained England to a 10-0 victory over Latvia in the 2018 UEFA Under-17 Championship qualification match in Scotland in November 2017, in which she scored four goals. James went on to then receive her first call up to the Under-19 squad for a tournament which took place in Portugal.
In November 2020, James received her first senior call up to St Georges Park where the training camp took place which included a 29-player squad. During England’s 2023 world cup qualifier against Austria, the young star made her senior debut after coming on in the 79th minute as a substitute.
Five Months after Lauren James made her debut, on the 16th February 2023, she scored her first international goal in a 4-0 win over South Korea in the 2023 arnold clark cup. After England lifted the trophy due to a 6-1 victory, Lauren james received the player of the tournament award after her first class performance throughout the Arnold clark cup.
Due to James’ hard work which was evident in her performances throughout the previous season, she was picked for the England squad for the 2023 World cup which took place in July 2023. Although, at the age of 21, she was the second youngest on the team this didnt stop her from spreading her magic. In the group stage the england forward scored three goals and made three assists which helped push her country’s team to the Knock-out phase.
During the first Knock-out stage matchup with Nigeria, James was named as a member of a three-at-the-back formation. But following a tense game, James recieved a red card and as a result was sent off, and banned for the following two games. This will always stay with her at such a young age, but we are sure she will use it as a lesson to become a better player.
The Lionesses progressed their way to the 2023 World Cup final in the absence of Lauren James. Fortunately she was eligible to play in the final where she came on as a substitute in the second half of the match, however after a 1-0 loss to spain, James came out of the tournament with a silver medal which although there was disappointment is such a valuable medal to earn at such a young age.
At the age of 22, Lauren James has many notable performances and honours for both her country and club, and this is just the start of a successful and legendary journey of Chelsea’s Home grown football legend.
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