Lucy Bronze backs Lionesses to step things up for World Cup and hails Lauren James
LUCY BRONZE aims to help Lauren James find her way with the forward shining for the Lionesses ahead of the World Cup.
And the Barcelona ace vowed England will step it up in the tournament after their draw with Portugal.
The Lionesses’ final test on home soil before the showpiece in Australia and New Zealand ended in a 0-0 stalemate at the home of MK Dons
Four years ago the team lost a World Cup send-off clash to New Zealand
However they battled their way to the semis in the 2019 contest before being beaten by the United States.
Of England’s performance on Saturday, Bronze said: “In the second half we showed a big improvement.
“We upped the tempo which is a good sign that we noticed we’re not doing what we should be and we can step it up.”
Among the brighter moments for the Lionesses was Lauren James pulling the strings as a number 10 in the second half.
And Bronze is enjoying her blossoming right-flank partnership with the forward.
She adds: “LJ and I have a good relationship off the pitch as well.
“She’s eager to learn and for a player that’s so young and talented, people forget how much expectation there is on her.
“Because I’m the experienced player, she wants to get me in the game.
“But I’m saying to her: ‘You’re the winger, you have it.’ It’s nice that she wants to get me involved.
“Give her space and she will score a goal. She’s still learning when to be selfish and when not to be. I’m just there to help her find her way.”
Alongside James, Esme Morgan and Katie Robinson were among the tournament debutants who featured for boss Sarina Wiegman against Portugal.
The trio will play in the World Cup for the first time in their careers after a pre-contest duel with Canada in Australia on July 14.
Bronze added: “The younger players who are the least experienced, Katie Robinson, Lauren and Esme, I thought all of them did really well (against Portugal)
“You don’t see the weight of expectation on their shoulders.
“They are exciting and they don’t have fear. They slot in. They are used to doing it in the league and they do it for us now.
“I went into the 2015 (World Cup) as a young player, not expecting to do much.
“I ended up playing every single game, scoring goals and forced myself into the spotlight. “Anything can happen in the World Cup.
“We saw that last year with Chloe (Kelly) in the Euros scoring the winner in a tournament that she played very few minutes in.
“There will be plenty of opportunities for people to shine and have their moments.”