Lioness Lauren James' life off pitch after 'Beckham-esque' stamp at World Cup
England Women's World Cup player Lauren James has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons after being sent off in shame for stamping on an opponent - leaving sports fans shocked.
The 21-year-old Lioness hails from London and had been a star player in the 2023 Women's World Cup - currently taking place in Australia. But a match against Nigeria on Monday 7 August sparked furore when Lauren brutally stamped on Michelle Alozie - leading to a red card for the England player.
Fans are comparing the forward player to David Beckham after his red card for a kick at Diego Simeone in 1998 as the Three Lions crashed out to Argentina all those years ago. He has reached out to her before, and may now need to again as the young player has sparked a backlash with her actions.
Lauren became another famous England number seven to see red for violent conduct following her heroics in the group stages of the Women's World Cup - placing her in the same disgraced camp as David.
Lauren James sparked World Cup fury when she stamped on Nigerian player Michelle Alozie in a moment of uncivilised sports play (Getty)Her red card was the last thing the team needed after a difficult 85 minutes as the sides headed into extra time before the match then turned to a tense penalty shootout. England were eventually victorious with a 4-2 win after Beth Mead, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly all scored.
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Lauren began her football career after she was scouted as a teenager by Arsenal - who invited her to train with the boys' team before she advanced to training with the first team. She then went on to platy for Manchester and currently plays for Chelsea - when not chasing national glory as part of the England team.
She won the Young Player Of The Year Award at the Women's Football Awards following her success in the 2022–23 season. And in June this year it was announced that her contract with Chelsea had been extended until 2027.
Referee Melissa Borjas shows a red card to Lauren James of England after the Video Assistant Referee review during the last-16 game between England and Nigeria (Matt Roberts - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)While she keeps a low profile off the pitch, her life is drawing more attention in the spotlight. She has a superstar brother and her fantastic form for club and country has made her a sporting hero to many.
We take a look at her life and the huge support network the Chelsea star can call upon.
England's 'Shy' wonderkid
Lauren has earned a reputation as the 'shy wonderkid' of the England squad.
Ahead of the clash against Nigeria, England defender Lucy Bronze is helping the “shy” and “misinterpreted” Lauren navigate the increasingly bright spotlight shining on the 21-year-old after her historic turn at the World Cup.
Bronze, one of just two England players to have featured in the last three World Cups, has found a kindred spirit in inquisitive debutant James who is a decade her junior.
“I was thrust into the limelight in a different way but I can help give her advice. I can help keep her feet on the ground but she is good at that anyway. She’s someone like myself who gets misinterpreted a little bit by other players or the media because she hasn’t always got a smile on her face.
"She is quite shy like I used to be. She reminds me so much of myself when I was younger. She is shy but she believes in herself a lot. She’s a lovely girl and wants the team to do well more than anything.”
Writing in the Times, ex-Manchester United manager Casey Stoney, who signed James as a 16-year-old, also remembered her as someone who “never enjoyed the spotlight” with a “laid-back personality” that sometimes worked against her when others mistakenly believed that meant the Londoner did not “want it” enough.
Famous family
She has a huge support network to call upon (laurennjjames/Instagram)Lauren’s brother is Chelsea and England player Reece James and her dad, Nigel, is a football coach and he opened up on her struggles as a youth team player at Arsenal, saying it was fraught with difficultly.
Speaking to The Independent, she said: “I grew up in a family of football, so a lot of my childhood was based around just getting a ball and playing. When it comes to football, my dad was a really important person and coach for me. He was consistently telling me what to work on and demanded the best from me, which he still does to this day.”
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Her dad has spoken about how she was “too good” to be playing with junior women’s footballers at Arsenal and so was sent to play with the women instead. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing as Nigel said the age gap between the women and a young Lauren put up barriers.
Speaking on the Beautiful Game podcast, he said: "What people would see is this little girl. Some could take it and put their arm around her. Some couldn't take it and said 'you shouldn't be here, you should be at school.
"They then asked for Lauren to be removed from the first team squad at Arsenal and to go back in the academy, but the solution was she train with the academy boys. This had never happened before so it was a big thing. Some parents didn't like it.
"But she was superb and did very well. At the end of the season when she was 15-and-a-half, Arsenal then said you won't be with the women you'll play with the academy girls. I saw her playing with girls her own age as sort of a demotion.”
Becoming a Disney character
Lauren has been animated by Walt Disney in a new short by the production giant to celebrate the World Cup, and to try and encourage young girls to get into football. Fans couldn't get enough of it.
The short, which is titled Ella: A Modern Day Fairytale is a retelling of Cinderella and stars fellow footballers Leah Williamson and Lucy Bronze. The film is narrated by former England player and pundit Alex Scott. It will be distributed to schools for free starting in September.
Lauren's 'Beckham' Moment
David Beckham may need to reach out again (AFP via Getty Images)David Beckham outed himself as a fan of Lauren's football skills - reaching out via social media following her heroic playing during an earlier point in the Women's World Cup. But now he may want to reach out again as they share the unfortunate history of being sent off at key moments for their country. He will know how she is feeling.
On Twitter, he wrote: “great goal Lauren” after Lauren had played well in a prior match. Lauren responded by questioning whether or not it was real. On the team’s YouTube channel, she said: "I was a bit like, is that actually real? I was just like, am I reading that right?
"It was obviously a proud moment, and just a bit like wow, someone like that who's had a great career has seen it as well."
David himself caused furore in 1998 when he kicked Argentina's Diego Simeone in a World Cup match and was consequently handed a red card. Football pundit Gary Lineker compared the two incidents following Lauren's red card, tweeting: "The @Lionesses down to 10 as Lauren James has a Beckhamesque moment of madness."
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