Chelsea women’s manager Emma Hayes has praised Lauren James as the “most naturally gifted footballer in the country” following her recent goal-scoring performance.
James scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over Liverpool, helping the team extend their lead in the WSL.
Despite not starting in the Champions League draw against Real Madrid, the 22-year-old demonstrated her value with a left-foot finish to open the scoring and provided an assist for Aggie Beever-Jones before half-time.
In the second half, Lauren James quickly secured her hat-trick with two goals, while Sjoeke Nusken compounded Liverpool’s misery by tapping in from Rytting Kaneryd’s enticing cross.
Despite the comprehensive victory, the standout performance of Lauren James stole the headlines, with her manager Emma Hayes expressing admiration for her undeniable talent.
“Lauren got into such good positions because of the work she did off the ball,” Hayes said, as cited on the BBC.
“What she did out of possession was outstanding—the way she back-pressed, counter-pressed, dominated her duels, did it for 90 minutes and was very selfless in her work.
Hayes stated that James is the most naturally gifted footballer in England, highlighting her ability to effortlessly execute actions on the pitch.
The Chelsea boss added, “She’s the most naturally gifted footballer in the country. She does things with very little backlift. Lauren is a really, really intelligent footballer. Forget the technical bit; she’s really intelligent.”
Source: The Independent Ghana