England right back Lucy Bronze has praised the youngsters in the squad after their send-off match against Portugal on Saturday, including Chelsea's Lauren James.
The Lionesses jet off to Australia ahead of the Women's World Cup in a few days time, but their final fixture on home soil ended in a stalemate at Stadium MK. James was among the younger, less experienced players to start the match, along with Manchester City centre-back Esme Morgan.
James was tested in a number of positions, starting out on the wing before she moved more centrally into the number 10 role in the second half. Speaking on the relationship with James, Bronze highlighted the 21-year-old's desire to learn and improve.
She said post-match: “Me and Lauren have a good relationship on and off the pitch, which helps a lot. I know she’s eager to learn, improve and get better which is nice for a player that’s so young and talented. People forget that, there’s a lot of expectations because she’s so talented, but she still wants to learn and improve.
“I think because I’m the (more) experienced player, she wants to get me in the game. It’s nice she wants to try and look for me, but I’m trying to give her space. Give her space and she’ll score a goal.
“She’s a young player, so she’s still learning that role and when to be selfish, when not to be. When to pass, when to go and when to shoot. I’m just there to help her find the way.”
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James wasn't the only player to stand out in the 0-0 draw, Morgan had huge boots to fill with Chelsea defender Millie Bright still recovering from a knee injury ahead of the tournament. Katie Robinson was also called into action from the bench and showed promising signs.
“The younger players who are the least experienced, Lauren (James), Esme (Morgan), Robbo (Katie Robinson), all did really well," Bronze continued. "They grew into the game and you don’t see the weight of expectations on their shoulders.
“Esme has come in at centre half, where you’re talking about Millie Bright and Leah Williamson, and I thought she was really good at the back today. I thought Lauren was really good and Katie was really good when she came on. The youngsters now are really excited and they don’t have fear, they slot in because it’s what they’re used to doing at their clubs regularly in the league.”
England begin their World Cup campaign on July 22 with their opening group stage game against Haiti. While a handful of the more experienced heads in the squad, including Bronze, Mary Earps, Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway, have nailed down starting spots - there's a number of places still up for grabs.
Sarina Wiegman does not yet know who her starting line-up will be come that first game, which means the likes of James, Robinson and Morgan still have plenty to prove over the next few weeks.
