‘she Has Something Special’: Lucy Bronze Rates Lauren James Among Europe’s Best

Lucy Bronze says Lauren James has sewage “something special” astir her aft nan guardant opened England’s relationship against nan Netherlands successful style connected Wednesday night.

“We cognize we conscionable request to get LJ nan shot successful vulnerable positions and location could beryllium a extremity from anything,” said nan right-back. “She’s astir apt nan champion subordinate successful this full tourney for being capable to create thing special. There’s a batch of typical players successful this tournament, nan likes of Putellas and Bonmati, a immense number of talented players, but LJ’s sewage that thing special. She’s only young, she’s not astatine 100% yet, truthful hopefully we get done nan tourney and she conscionable keeps getting amended and better.”

James was nan attraction successful nan build up to England’s 4-0 conclusion of nan Dutch. Sarina Wiegman’s determination to research pinch nan guardant successful nan No 10 domiciled for nan 2-1 nonaccomplishment to France successful nan opening crippled of nan group hadn’t paid off, nan building of nan midfield mislaid to accommodate England’s brightest and astir move star.

Returned to nan position she operated successful astatine nan 2023 World Cup, successful beforehand of Bronze connected nan right, she was unplayable. So unplayable that near backmost Esme Brugts, left-sided centre-back Veerle Buurman and left-sided guardant Jill Roord each made measurement astatine half-time.

“Playing pinch Lauren James you cognize that group are going to person to astir apt alteration thing astatine immoderate constituent because she’s truthful dangerous, and she’s not moreover astatine 100% yet,” said Bronze. “So, I’m judge a batch of nan near backs successful this tournament, aliases correct backs, wherever she plays, will not beryllium wanting to spot that Lauren James garment coming up against them because she’s that frightening.”

It was James who opened nan scoring astatine nan Stadion Letzigrund, easing fears of a imaginable early tourney exit for nan holders. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was nan instigator, her sublime shot done nan full Dutch squad recovered Alessia Russo and nan guardant played successful James connected nan separator of nan container who took a controlling touch and 2 much to move her into abstraction earlier sweeping a powerful effort past Daphne van Domselaar.

“Unbelievable decorativeness from LJ, near and correct footed, she’s unbelievable, truthful springiness her nan shot and that’s what she’ll do,” said Chloe Kelly.

Russo said: “We spot her do that successful training each nan time. When you springiness her nan shot successful those kinds of areas you cognize she tin deed it disconnected some feet, I want to find LJ successful those areas arsenic overmuch arsenic I can, we each do. She’s a typical subordinate and a awesome talent.”

Lauren James celebrates pinch teammate Alex Greenwood aft scoring nan 3rd extremity of nan lucifer during England’s crippled pinch nan Netherlands. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

James’s 2nd was England’s third, it was little beautiful but nary little clinical, pinch Russo having swiped and missed and Ella Toone’s effort coming backmost disconnected a defender earlier James stroked it in.

It is her spot that makes her specified a talent, said Bronze: “She’s truthful strong. She’s built really strong, has that powerfulness successful her legs that you don’t spot from galore female footballers. I deliberation that’s thing that maine and her some speak astir a lot. That’s been a large property of my crippled successful nan past, being really powerful and strong. She’s sewage that and she has nan method to adhd to it erstwhile it comes to shooting and crossing and thing she wants.”

England overcame a large hurdle against nan Dutch, ensuring that progression remains successful their hands. A triumph against Wales connected Sunday would beryllium capable to nonstop England into nan quarter-finals. Asked astir nan comments from a rampant Spain astir England being nan tourney favourites, Bronze was dismissive.

“They’re conscionable trying to put different pressures connected different teams,” she said. “Everybody wants to walk that explanation connected to personification other to not make excessively overmuch sound astir them. It’s nan aforesaid for us. We want to conscionable beryllium coming successful what we’ve sewage to do. We’ve not moreover sewage done nan group yet, whereas galore teams person already qualified.”