Lauren James Biography 2024: Age, Net Worth, Family, Relationship, Height, Education, Personal Life, Club & International Career, Honor and Awards

Career

Arsenal

At the age of 13, James was scouted by Arsenal and initially trained with the boys’ team. However, within two years, she progressed to training with the first team.

On 29 October 2017, James made her debut for Arsenal, becoming the second-youngest player in the club’s history to do so.

She came on as a substitute in the 67th minute, replacing Lisa Evans, and contributed to a 2-0 victory over Everton during the 2017-18 season.

Manchester United

During the 2018-19 season, James joined Manchester United as part of their first professional squad for the newly restructured FA Women’s Championship.

Her competitive debut for the club came on 19 August in a 1-0 League Cup win against Liverpool.

In United’s first game of the season, she scored the opening two goals in a remarkable 12-0 victory over Aston Villa.

James’ impressive performances earned her the title of FA Women’s Championship player of the month for September, thanks to her three goals during the team’s unbeaten start to the season.

She continued to shine, scoring four goals in a 7-0 league win against Crystal Palace on 20 April 2019.

From 2019 to 2021

James made history by scoring Manchester United’s first-ever goal in the Women’s Super League (WSL) on 28 September 2019.

Her goal came in the 71st minute of a 2-0 triumph over Liverpool.

However, in a match against Tottenham Hotspur two weeks later, James received two yellow cards and was subsequently sent off during United’s 3-0 league victory.

On 16 December, she signed her first professional contract with the club. At the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, James emerged as United’s top scorer and was nominated for the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year award, making it to the final four shortlist.

On 27 March 2021, she opened the scoring in a 2-0 league win against West Ham United, marking the first-ever FA WSL match to be played at Old Trafford.

Chelsea 2021–23

James officially joined Chelsea on 23 July 2021, signing a four-year contract.

She showcased her skills by scoring her first goal for the club during a remarkable 9–0 victory against Leicester City on 27 March 2022.

Throughout her second season at Chelsea, James made 33 appearances across various competitions, netting 8 goals, including 5 in the WSL.

Her outstanding performances in the 2022–23 season earned her the prestigious 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.

Exciting news followed in June 2023, as it was announced that James had committed to Chelsea until 2027 by signing a new contract.

Chelsea 2023–24

James continued to make waves in the 2023–24 season. On 18 November 2023, she achieved a remarkable feat by scoring her first WSL hat-trick in a resounding 5–1 victory against Liverpool.

Her exceptional performances earned her the title of WSL Player of the Month for November.

However, on 10 December 2023, James faced controversy when she received a yellow card for an alleged stamp on Lia Wälti during a 1–4 away loss against Arsenal.

This incident marked the second stamping controversy involving James within a span of six months.

Following the incident, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes expressed concern for James, stating that she was “not in a good place” due to the “abuse” she received from the public and media.

James started the new year with a bang, scoring a hat-trick in the first league game of 2024, leading Chelsea to a 3–1 victory against Manchester United.

This impressive feat marked her second consecutive hat-trick at Stamford Bridge.

On 27 January 2024, James further solidified her position as one of the top scorers in the WSL, as she scored two goals against Brighton, bringing her total to 12 goals in 11 games, tying with Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw for the league’s top scorer.

Brighton manager Melissa Phillips praised James, describing her as “performing at the top of her game right now”.

International Career

In April 2017, James debuted in the under-17 team during a 2–0 friendly loss to USA. She later led England to a 10–0 victory over Latvia in October 2017, scoring four goals.

In the same month, she netted two more goals in a 6–0 win against Slovakia, securing the team’s spot in the final tournament, where they finished fourth.

James was called up to the under-19 squad for the Algarve Tournament in January 2019.

She was then selected for the 2019 UEFA Under-19 Championship in Scotland in July 2019, playing in matches against Germany, Spain, and Belgium.

In November 2020, James was called up to the senior national team for a training camp at St George’s Park.

She made her senior debut on 3 September 2022, scoring her first international goal on 16 February 2023 during the Arnold Clark Cup. James was named player of the tournament.

On 31 May 2023, James was included in the squad for the 2023 World Cup. She scored in England’s 1–0 win over Denmark and had a standout performance against China.

Despite being sent off in the knock-out phase, England reached the final, where James was eligible to play again; she came on as a substitute for the second half of the match, as England lost 1–0 to Spain as the Lionesses finished as runners-up in the tournament.

Personal life