Lauren James apologises for red card incident

Lauren James has apologised for the red card she received after stamping on the back of Nigeria’s player Michelle Alozie, in the Lionesses’ last-16 match.

Lauren James was sent off for a reckless red card against Nigeria and will miss England’s quarter-final against Colombia; her ban could still be extended by FIFA if England progress further in the tournament.

According to the head coach of the England Women’s National team, Sarina Wiegman, the 21-year-old footballer “lost her emotions” when she made a reckless challenge on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, which involved  stamping on Alozie’s back as the two tried to get up from a tussle.

“All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened,” James said on social media, replying to a message from Alozie.

“Also, for our England fans and my team-mates, playing with and for you is my greatest honour and I promise to learn from my experience”, she added.

But England boss Wiegman says despite emotions getting the better of the 21-year-old, James never intended for the incident to happen.

“It was a moment of a split-second and it was later in the game so players also get a little tired. She is an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well,” she said.

“And I think, in a split-second, she just lost her emotions. And, of course, she does not want to hurt anyone. She is the sweetest person I know.

“Yet then things happen like that and you cannot change it any more. So it is a huge lesson for her to learn, but it is not something that she really did on purpose.

“It happens sometimes with human beings – that you are in such an intense game, such an emotional game and, in a split-second, she lost her emotions.

“She apologised and she felt really, really bad and absolutely she does not want to hurt anyone” Wiegman added.