OFF THE RECORD WITH LAUREN JAMES

25/11/2025 by Alex Courbat

Lauren James’ talent speaks for itself. With four WSL titles at Chelsea, a Ballon d’Or nomination, countless player of the match awards, and a European Championship medal last summer, she’s achieved more before turning 24 than most players do in their entire career. But what if we told you that the beautiful game wasn’t always the only path for this gifted forward? In this interview, we caught up with Lauren to chat about her early days and what it was like when she was just getting started.

Her former manager Emma Hayes once described her as the most naturally gifted footballer in the country. And, England legend, Lucy Bronze went even further, placing Lauren James amongst the likes of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí – as someone who can create magic from nothing. And, neither Emma or Lucy are wrong. But before the silverware and the spotlight, before thousands of fans sang her name, there was simply a young girl who loved playing football, amongst other things.

"Football was kind of the main one, but I did a lot of 200m or 100m in athletics," Lauren says when asked about her early sporting days. "I played most sports as a kid. But I would say I took those two a bit more serious." It's not hard to imagine a parallel universe where Lauren lined up on an athletics track rather than a football pitch. But growing up surrounded by football made the choice feel inevitable. "I grew up around football, that’s all I know, and I seem to be all right at it," she says with a smile. All right? That's putting it mildly.

But her journey to the top wasn't without its challenges, particularly when it came to finding role models who looked like her. Lauren has spoken openly about the difficulty of growing up without many female footballers to look up to, mentioning players like Rachel Yankey as rare beacons in a landscape that offered few visible pathways for young girls with big dreams. But, remember earlier in this piece when we were talking about how Lauren can create anything from nothing? No role models, no problem.

"I think you see it as an opportunity to become your own role model, but I think when you're young, you don't really think about it," she reflects. "You just kind of look up to whoever's doing well at the time. But, I guess now the young girls growing up, they have a lot of female idols to look up to." They sure do.

And it’s a transformation she’s been right at the heart of. The Lionesses’ recent success has given a whole generation of young players a team full of role models to look up to, and it’s opened up loads more opportunities for girls to chase their dreams – something Lauren’s clearly proud of. Because when she was starting out, it was a completely different game.

Her time at Arsenal Academy marked a significant step up, though, again, it came with its own unique challenges. Training with the boys meant proving herself all over again. "It was a new challenge, because obviously I went to train with the boys," she remembers. "And the first couple of sessions, they were like, 'Oh, a girl's with us,' but then after a few sessions they started to realise. All of a sudden, they were giving me the ball a lot more." For them, like for the rest of the world, her talent didn’t go unnoticed for long.

That quiet confidence – letting her ability do the talking – has become something of a trademark. Lauren admits that people often perceive her as quite serious, but those who know her see a different side. "A lot of the people that don't know me outside of being an athlete probably don’t know that I’m more silly than you probably think I am," she says.

Away from the pitch, Lauren lets her hair down – and she loves to keep things refreshingly simple. Holidays with close friends and family, someplace warm to switch off when the season ends, giving her that crucial balance between the intense demands of professional football and normal life. And then there's the music. "Every day, I wake up, play music," she says. "On Fridays, I know there's always new releases, so that's the first thing I do as soon as I wake up and check my phone." Currently, Burna Boy, Fridayy and Lojay top the list. It's clear that music isn't just background noise – it's part of how she navigates her day, whether she's preparing for a match or simply going about normal life.

Now firmly established as a role model herself, Lauren’s advice to the next generation resonates far beyond just football. "Give it a try. Enjoy it, have a laugh, have fun. And if you like it, then continue to try to see the fun out of it." It's a philosophy that echoes what so many elite athletes come back to: finding joy in what you do, remembering why you started in the first place. For Lauren, that beginning wasn't marked by destiny or certainty. She was just a kid trying different sports, seeing what stuck. She could have been a sprinter. She could have focused on any number of activities. But football turned out to be the one.

The thing about getting started is, you don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need to be the best on day one. Lauren didn’t walk into the Arsenal Academy already a star. She had to earn her place. Session by session. Slowly building trust, learning, growing, proving herself, until her teammates started passing her the ball more often. There were moments of doubt. Injuries. Setbacks. But she kept showing up. Kept finding the joy in the game. And little by little, things started to click. But it can all be traced back to that first time kicking a ball, when she was just getting started. So why not give it a go? She did – and look where she is now.