Chelsea star Reece James has said he is ‘super proud’ of younger sister Lauren, who is becoming an increasingly important player for the Blues and now a regular England call-up.
Lauren, like her brother, grew up supporting Chelsea and was initially part of the youth ranks there until being scouted by Arsenal aged 13.
Shortly before turning 17, she joined the newly reformed Manchester United and made a name for herself as one of the brightest young talents in women’s football.
Lauren returned to Chelsea in 2021 in a deal worth up to £200,000 in total and a transfer record for a player moving between WSL clubs. Careful management of her fitness led to relatively few appearances in her debut season, but the 2022/23 campaign has been a different story.
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The 21-year-old has started seven of Chelsea’s eight games so far, scoring three times – including one against former club United last month. She made her senior England debut in September and has already earned four caps for the Lionesses.
“She inspires me every day and will continue to,” Reece explained when a fan asked about Lauren in a Q&A he was hosting on Twitter for his 1.2m followers this week, before going on to make his bold statement about her ability and her future.
“I believe she is the best women’s footballer in the world, and will be for the next 10-15 years, without doubt. She’s technically better than some Prem players.”