As the youngest of three siblings, Lauren James knows how hard it is to step out of an older brother’s shadow.
When that older brother happens to play for Chelsea and England, then the challenge is only greater.
But as the women’s game continues to grow, James is determined to make a name for herself - and this month’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is the perfect stage.
The 21-year-old has cemented her place in the England squad since last summer’s Euros and has the potential to be one of the World Cup’s breakouts stars.
“Yes I do feel like that, a lot,” says James, when asked if she wants to carve out her own name.
“Even just: ‘That’s Lauren James, that’s Reece’s sister’, but I want to carve that out and be known as ‘this is Lauren James’.
“Whereas at the moment, men’s football is a lot bigger profile, it’s natural to just go - and I’m sure there are times when I’ve said - ‘oh that’s so and so’s sister’, but I think it’s just natural.”
James has enjoyed an excellent season for club and country, relishing the freedom Chelsea manager Emma Hayes and England head coach Sarina Wiegman have given her.
The forward has stepped up for the Lionesses in the absence of injured Ballon d’Or runner-up Beth Mead, and was described as a “cheat code” by Leah Williamson after being named player of the tournament when England won the Arnold Clark Cup in February.
“I think it was a good start for me in a tournament,” says James. “I personally enjoyed it and obviously the outcome was nice. But I’m just someone who always wants to just play football, so I try not to let the external noise get into me. I like to stay grounded.”
James’ journey to this point has not been easy. She came through the ranks at Chelsea and Arsenal’s academies but left when she was 16 to join Manchester United, who were in the Championship.
It gave James the chance to play regular football, but it was a challenging time for her as she left home.
“Living alone, it allowed me to grow up as a person and… having to cook for myself! I can’t cook,” she says.
“It was weird at first, I was young, I was 16. It allowed me to…well, without making that move, I think I probably wouldn’t be where I am now.
“Sometimes I think, you know, people would say it was a step back because I went to the Championship. But for me, sometimes it allows you to go a step forward.”
James returned to Chelsea in 2021 and has thrived under the guidance of Hayes.
Injury problems had dogged her at United and she was slowly integrated at Chelsea, with the World Cup and not Euro 2022 the target.
It meant she had to look on from the stands as the Lionesses made history last summer, but that only fuelled the fire inside her.
“Watching it, going to the final last summer, it obviously made me feel more like, ‘I want to make sure I’m there this summer’, and it gave me a bit more motivation and hunger,” says James. “I’d like to feel the same as what they felt last summer.”
