![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/lauren-james-dad-opens-up-on-daughters-struggles-at-arsenal-ahead-of-world-cup/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/0_Lauren-James-With-brother-Reece-James-and-their-father-dad-Nigel-James.jpg&description=James, now a star for club and country, is currently preparing to play in her first FIFA Women's World Cup finals for the Lionesses - but she had a tricky time at Arsenal according to her dad Nigel Lauren James' journey as a youth team player at Arsenal was fraught with difficultly according to her father Nigel. James, 21, is now a star for both Chelsea and England, and is currently preparing to play in her first World Cup. But her path to the top of the game hasn't been straightforward with her dad speaking about the difficulties he faced as a youth player. Nigel, who is also the father of Chelsea men's defender Reece James, said his daughter's spell at Arsenal as a youngster was a difficult time for the future Man Utd and Chelsea forward. James was promoted to train with the Arsenal women's first team, one of the best sides in the country, but some senior players took issue with her presence around the group. Speaking to the Beautiful Game podcast, Nigel said: "She (Lauren James) was too good to train with the Arsenal girls when she first went there. So Arsenal tried something, Pedro (Martinez Losa) who was the coach at the time, brought her in to train with the women. "She was probably about 14 at the time. She stayed in her digs for a couple of nights and they got a tutor to teach her, so she trained with the women. "It was all good hearing it, but your 14 year-old daughter is now training with women who are 35, 28, they were grown women. So when you are on the pitch it is football, but off the pitch they had nothing in common. "What people would see is this little girl. Some could take it and put their arm around her. Some couldn't take it and said 'you shouldn't be here, you should be at school.'" The flying winger could make her World Cup debut for England in just a few weeks' time, after she was named in the 23-player squad by manager Sarina Wiegman. The Lionesses face Haiti in their opening game on July 22 in Brisbane, with James competing for a spot with C){kind=link}
James, now a star for club and country, is currently preparing to play in her first FIFA Women’s World Cup finals for the Lionesses – but she had a tricky time at Arsenal according to her dad Nigel
Lauren James’ journey as a youth team player at Arsenal was fraught with difficultly according to her father Nigel.
James, 21, is now a star for both Chelsea and England, and is currently preparing to play in her first World Cup. But her path to the top of the game hasn’t been straightforward with her dad speaking about the difficulties he faced as a youth player.
Nigel, who is also the father of Chelsea men’s defender Reece James, said his daughter’s spell at Arsenal as a youngster was a difficult time for the future Man Utd and Chelsea forward. James was promoted to train with the Arsenal women’s first team, one of the best sides in the country, but some senior players took issue with her presence around the group.
Speaking to the Beautiful Game podcast, Nigel said: “She (Lauren James) was too good to train with the Arsenal girls when she first went there. So Arsenal tried something, Pedro (Martinez Losa) who was the coach at the time, brought her in to train with the women.