England forward Lauren James has spoken out about her struggles at Euro 2025, revealing how injuries and harsh criticism impacted her experience despite helping the Lionesses retain their title in Switzerland.
In an interview with BBC Sport, the 23-year-old admitted the physical pain and public judgment made it hard to fully enjoy England’s historic back-to-back triumph.
“A lot of the time fans don’t know what is going on, they only know what is in front of them,” she said. “They don’t know what someone is dealing with, what is going on in their life. I always say to the fans, be mindful, you don’t know what someone is dealing with out there. You could just be adding on to it.”
Playing Through Pain at Euro 2025
James started all six matches for Sarina Wiegman’s side but struggled in the later stages. She was substituted at half-time in both the semi-final against Italy and the final win over Spain due to injury.
“I was obviously fighting to be fit for the Euros, then suffered another injury in the quarter-finals, and tried to play on,” she revealed. “Then people assume you’re not trying, but at the end of the day I’m in a ridiculous amount of pain which caused me to come off at half-time in the semi-finals and before half-time in the final.”
The forward confirmed she had suffered the setback in the quarter-final against Sweden, an injury that will also delay her return for Chelsea’s 2025-26 Women’s Super League campaign.
Hurt by Criticism from Fans
James admitted that fan reactions added to her struggles, with some suggesting she lacked effort. “England are playing with 10 men, she’s lazy, she’s not trying,” revealed James. “I’m like, I’m injured! It does put you down.”
Despite her challenges, she played a vital role in England’s group-stage success, scoring twice in the 4-0 win against the Netherlands.
Fear of Racist Abuse After Missed Penalty
James also admitted fearing racist abuse when she missed a penalty during the shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals.
“For sure. Stepping up, I was thinking, if I miss I hope I’m not the only one because I know what comes with it – it happened before and keeps happening. As sad as it sounds, it was the biggest relief ever that other players missed. Who would have thought that?”
Her fears echoed the abuse faced by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka after England’s Euro 2020 men’s final defeat.
Focus on Chelsea Return and Champions League Dream
Still recovering in a protective boot, James has no confirmed return date for Chelsea but remains committed to club and country “It’s where I’m from, where my mum is from, I always dreamed of playing for my country,” she added.
Chelsea, under manager Sonia Bompastor, begin their WSL campaign against Manchester City but will also target their first UEFA Women’s Champions League title after Arsenal’s success last season.
“Arsenal winning it last year shows the standard of English football,” said James. “It shows how standards are high, and makes us feel, yeah, we need to go and win it.”
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