Reece James’ sister hailed as the 'Messi' of England after Hat-trick vs Liverpool

Chelsea women boss Emma Hayes has hailed Lauren James as the ‘most naturally gifted footballer in the country” after the attacker’s most recent goal-haul.

James bagged a hat trick as Chelsea secured an emphatic 5-1 win over Liverpool - a result that saw them extend their lead at the top of the WSL.

After failing to start in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League, the 22-year-old showed her manager why she needed to consistently be in the team.

As reported on the Chelsea website, James opened the scoring with a sweeping left foot finish, but Jess Carter’s own goal restored parity.James then turned provider as she set up Aggie Beever-Jones as Chelsea went into the break with a slender lead.

Reece James secures hat-trick

The second half was a one-sided affair as Lauren James scored two quick fire goals to complete her hattrick as Sjoeke Nusken added to Liverpool’s misery on the day with a tap in from Rytting Kaneryd's teasing cross.

Lauren James Goals ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/OqJL4WuAzb

— Umwatch (@Umwatch_yt) November 19, 2023

While the victory was emphatic, it was Lauren James who stole headlines, as her manager Emma Hayes could not help but gush over her undeniable talent.

"Lauren got into such good positions because of her work she did off the ball,” Hayes said as cited on BBC.

"What she did out of possession was outstanding - the way she back-pressed, counter pressed, dominated her duels, did it for 90 minutes and was very selfless in her work.

According to Hayes, James was the most naturally gifted footballer in England because of the little effort she took to do some of the things she did on the pitch.

The Chelsea boss added: "She’s the most naturally gifted footballer in the country. She does things with very little back-lift. Lauren is a really, really intelligent footballer. Forget the technical bit, she’s really intelligent."