England manager Sarina Wiegman praised Lauren James for the “massive improvement” she has made to the defensive side of her game as the Lionesses defeated world champions Spain 1-0 at Wembley.
James was making her first appearances in a home game for England since April 2024 and Wiegman was keen to highlight what the attacker was able to bring to both sides of her performance.
Wiegman also praised Jess Park’s contribution to England’s shape in the victory over Spain and said the Manchester City midfielder gave the edge in central areas with her positioning.
The England manager said she was ‘proud’ of the work James put in off the ball in the win over Spain.
For the second game in a row, James tracked back to help Chelsea team-mate Niamh Charles, as the Lionesses withstood pressure from the World Cup winners to claim a morale-boosting win.
.jpeg?auto=webp&width=800)
