'people Assume You're Not Trying' - James On England Criticism

England guardant Lauren James says fans were "too speedy to judge" during her struggles astatine Euro 2025.

In an question and reply pinch BBC Sport, nan 23-year-old said wounded problems and disapproval during nan tourney affected really overmuch she was capable to bask nan Lionesses' historical triumph successful Switzerland.

And pinch a fearfulness of suffering racist abuse, James was besides relieved to spot different England players miss penalties successful nan quarter-final necktie against Sweden aft her ain spot-kick was saved.

"A batch of nan clip fans don't cognize what is going on, they only cognize what is successful beforehand of them," she said.

"They don't cognize what personification is dealing with, what is going connected successful their life. I ever opportunity to nan fans, beryllium mindful, you don't cognize what personification is dealing pinch retired there. You could conscionable beryllium adding connected to it.

"No subordinate goes into a crippled aliases into a play reasoning I'm not going to try. It was a Euros, they don't travel astir often. You could person 1 limb hanging off, I will still show you that I'm going to effort to play."

James was viewed arsenic a cardinal fig for England head Sarina Wiegman successful their European run successful Switzerland, and started each six games arsenic the Lionesses retained their title.

But successful nan second stages of nan competition, she struggled to nutrient her champion shape and wounded meant she was taken disconnected astatine half-time successful nan semi-final against Italy, arsenic good arsenic during nan first-half of nan last triumph complete Spain.

It transpired James had suffered an wounded against Sweden that will now support her retired of nan commencement of Chelsea's 2025-26 campaign.

Still successful a protective footwear erstwhile she said to BBC Sport astatine nan club's Cobham training ground, James said she had tried to play done nan symptom successful bid to thief nan team.

"I was evidently fighting to beryllium fresh for nan Euros, past suffered different wounded successful nan quarter-finals, and tried to play on," she revealed.

"Then group presume you're not trying, but astatine nan extremity of nan time I'm successful a ridiculous magnitude of symptom which caused maine to travel disconnected astatine half-time successful nan semi-finals and earlier half-time successful nan final."

James besides suffered a bid of injuries past play limiting her to conscionable 17 appearances and 4 goals for Chelsea arsenic they won a home treble.

She has nary return day for nan Women's Super League champions, and is taking things "day by day".

James said she had an thought of really bad her wounded was during nan Sweden tie, but wanted to transportation connected playing to thief her team.

"I cognize erstwhile thing is not right," she added. "But we had nary much subs near [against Sweden] truthful I had to enactment connected nan pitch. And past it's a Euros semi-final, I didn't deliberation it was a awesome wounded truthful I tried to play [against Italy]. Then we're successful nan final, I can't not play, truthful I tried again.

"And evidently we won, but I didn't consciousness great. I didn't play really I wanted to play, I couldn't dribble, I couldn't tally properly."

When asked if nan wounded problems and nan disapproval affected really overmuch she enjoyed nan occurrence of back-to-back titles, she said "for sure".

"It was an astonishing achievement, but during nan past 2 games I wasn't capable to thief nan team," she added. "To besides get antagonistic comments, from fans and nan nationalist - sometimes group are excessively speedy to judge."

What benignant of comments?

"England are playing pinch 10 men, she's lazy, she's not trying," revealed James. "I'm like, I'm injured! It does put you down."

James had played a cardinal domiciled successful getting England done nan group shape - she scored doubly successful the 4-0 triumph complete nan Netherlands.

But she missed her side's 2nd spot-kick successful nan punishment shootout quarter-final triumph complete Sweden - and admitted being frightened of getting racist abuse.

Team-mates Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood and Grace Clinton besides grounded to people earlier England eventually progressed 3-2 connected penalties aft a 2-2 draw.

However, James' England team-mate Jess Carter revealed she was subjected to racism online aft nan crippled and during nan tournament. Carter subsequently said she feared James would look "astronomical abuse" if her missed punishment had decided nan result against Sweden.

When England's men mislaid to Italy connected penalties successful nan Euro 2020 final, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka - who each missed penalties - suffered racist maltreatment connected societal media.

Asked if that was connected her mind successful Zurich, James admitted: "For sure. Stepping up, I was thinking, if I miss I dream I'm not nan only 1 because I cognize what comes pinch it - it happened earlier and keeps happening.

"As sad arsenic it sounds, it was nan biggest alleviation ever that different players missed. Who would person thought that? You ever want your team-mates to people truthful you get through.

"Luckily we missed and sewage through, but it was not a bully infinitesimal - you are playing for your state truthful you should consciousness nan support from nan fans. It shouldn't matter what colour you are."

But James said that benignant of curen would still ne'er make her deliberation doubly astir representing her country.

"It's wherever I'm from, wherever my mum is from, I ever dreamed of playing for my country," she added.

"We do awesome things pinch England - back-to-back Euros, thankfully I was portion of nan past one. I want to beryllium portion of each 1 going forward."

Chelsea unfastened nan WSL play astatine location to Manchester City connected Friday and look a difficult inquire to amended connected their first run nether head Sonia Bompastor, wherever they won nan league, FA Cup and League Cup.

But, having mislaid to Barcelona successful nan semi-finals, nan hunger for a first Champions League title has been accrued by Arsenal's triumph complete nan Spaniards successful past year's final.

"Arsenal winning it past twelvemonth shows nan modular of English football," said James. "It shows really standards are high, and makes america feel, yeah, we request to spell and triumph it."