English professional footballer Lauren James, who is also the famous sister of Reece James plays forward for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League and the England women’s squad. Her entry into football, like many female athletes, was tasking as she had to train with the boy’s neighborhood teams. In addition to this, Lauren also trained with her father and brothers from a tender age to become the star she is today.
Lauren James Was Born In An AnAthletic Family
Lauren James was born on the 29th day of September 2001 in London, England and she is 24 years old at the moment. She is of Grenadian and Dominica descent through her father and English descent through her mother.
Everyone in Lauren’s family is a sports enthusiast including her father, Nigel James who is a UEFA-licenced football coach that served as an inspiration for her throughout her early and professional career. Also, her mother’s name is Emma James. There is no record as to whether or not she played any sport professionally but she is known to have given her athletic children the necessary support they needed throughout their career.
Meanwhile, Lauren attended Whitton School in Whitton, London.
Meet Her Siblings
Reece James
The first name that will come to mind when talking about Lauren’s siblings is Reece James. This is because Reece has also made a name for himself as a 26-year-old English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team. He enrolled in the Chelsea academy as a youngster and made the switch to the professional ranks in 2017. That year, he led the under-18s to the FA Youth Cup win and was awarded Academy Player of the Season.
Reece signed a loan deal with Championship team Wigan Athletic in June 2018 for the upcoming campaign. On August 4, he started for Wigan in the team’s inaugural match of the year, leading his team to a 3-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at home. On November 4, Lauren’s brother scored his first goal for Wigan, netting a free kick in the sixth minute of a 2-1 loss to Leeds United at home. He was chosen for the 2018–19 Championship Team of the Season in March 2019. He won three awards at Wigan Athletic’s end-of-season awards, including Player of the Year.
On 14 September 2020, Reece scored his first Premier League goal, in a 3–1 win for Chelsea against Brighton & Hove Albion. On 5 December, he made his 50th appearance for Chelsea in all competitions in the club’s 3–1 league win over Leeds United.
James scored his first Premier League goal in Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on September 14, 2020. He participated in Chelsea’s 3-1 league victory over Leeds United on December 5 to mark his 50th overall appearance for the team.
Moving on, the English professional footballer committed to Chelsea until June 2028 after signing a new six-year contract on September 5, 2022. Reece lists the Chelsea youth team coaches Frank O’Brien, Joe Edwards, and Jody Morris as having had a significant impact on his career, along with his father, Nigel James.
Joshua James
As earlier stated, all of Lauren James’ family are sports enthusiasts. According to records, her oldest brother, Joshua also played football and was on Fulham’s and Readings’s books. Unlike his younger siblings, Joshua does not appear to have made it to the top of his sporting career.
Chanelle James
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The last of Nigel James’ children is Chanelle. At the time of this writing, she is very much young and has not yet disclosed her career goals. However, she has consistently backed her older siblings’ professional endeavors. Channel has also been seen at the stadium supporting her siblings during their games.
SEE ALSO: Alessia Russo’s Father Was A Footballer: Meet Her Parents
Lauren James And Her Brothers Were Trained by By Their Father Who Used To Be A Coach
More than 20 active professionals have benefited from Nigel’s coaching prowess, including Conor Gallagher of Chelsea, Ian Carlo Poveda of Leeds, and Rhian Brewster of Sheffield United. However, it is his own children who have benefited most from their father’s love of the game. Nigel has described how he used the “20p challenge” to help his kids succeed. He also said that he trained Lauren to pick things up quickly or she wouldn’t be able to catch up while playing with her brothers. Nigel has also said that Lauren’s brothers wouldn’t let her just come over and take the ball when she and her brothers used to play together. Rather, she had to work very hard. When she eventually obtains the ball, they will ensure that she does not keep it for an extended period of time.
Meanwhile, Nigel has said that football has always run in the family and that he has been lucky to witness his children’s growth from various perspectives, particularly in his capacity as a coach and a dad. He claimed that although as a player he never reached his children’s level, he has always been interested in the game and what it takes to be at the top.
James spent numerous hours perfecting the three kids’ techniques in order to make sure they were all at ease on the ball from an early age. He added that he used to give kids rewards for completing obstacles in the backyard, such as 20p, then another 20p, and so on. He asserts that there is no chance of improvement if you are unaware of the bar you must set for yourself.
Both Reece and Lauren joined Chelsea Academy at a young age
Reece joined Chelsea’s academy at the age of six and was later joined by Lauren, although she later chose to join Arsenal when she turned 13. Despite being three years younger than most of her teammates, she thrived for the club’s under-17 squad, and when that age group was dropped for the next season, it meant that she had to train with the under-15 boys’ side. Though it was a bit challenging at first, it was not something that she could not handle because Lauren has always played with boys. She made the best choice possible when she decided to leave Arsenal and join the brand-new Manchester United women’s team in July 2018. She made her Women’s Super League debut on her 16th birthday. Lauren agreed to a four-year contract with Chelsea on July 23, 2021. On March 27, 2022, she scored the club’s first goal in a 9-0 victory over Leicester City on the road. James made 33 appearances across all leagues and competitions in her second season with Chelsea, scoring 8 goals, including 5 in the WSL. She won the Young Player Of The Year Award at the Women’s Football Awards thanks to her accomplishments throughout the 2022–23 season. The player signed a contract to stay at Chelsea until 2027, it was revealed in June 2023.
Moving on, Laura was called up to the senior national squad for the first time in November 2020 as part of a 29-player training camp at St George’s Park. On September 3, 2022, James made her senior debut against Austria as a 79th-minute substitute during England’s 2023 World Cup qualifying match. The English professional footballer scored her first goal for her country on February 16, 2023, when England defeated South Korea 4-0 in the Arnold Clark Cup. She was included in the roster for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on May 31, 2023.
Lauren James’ Family Admits To Being Pulled Apart As A Result of Their Hectic Schedule
Lauren’s father has said his family now rarely see each other as a family should given their hectic schedules. According to him, things were different when his kids were a lot younger. Although their professional career growth is something to celebrate, it has somehow pulled the family apart.
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