England’s Lauren James is among the best players at Euro 2025 for creating “something special” and unlocking a game in a moment, team-mate Lucy Bronze has said.
James scored England’s opening goal in the 4-0 win over Netherlands with a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner and added a second after half-time as the Lionesses bounced back from their defeat to France.
The 23-year-old had been an injury doubt before the tournament due to a hamstring injury but was moved to the right wing against the Netherlands and sparked England’s big win with her opening goal.
“We know we just need to get LJ the ball in dangerous positions and there could be a goal from anything,” Bronze said. “She's probably the best player in this entire tournament for something special.
“There's a lot of special players in this tournament. I know the likes of [ Spain’s Alexia] Putellas and [Aitana] Bonmati, a huge amount of talented players, but LJ's got that something special.
“She's only young, she's not at 100 per cent yet, so hopefully we get through the tournament and she just keeps getting better and better.”
“We see her do that in training all the time,” striker Alessia Russo said. “When you give her the ball in those kinds of areas you know she can hit it off both feet.
“I want to find LJ in those areas as much as I can. We all do. She's a special player and a great talent.”
England would have been out of the Euros had they lose to the Netherlands in Zurich but the holders can reach the quarter-finals with a win against Wales on Sunday.
