Lauren James named PFA Young Player of the Year, Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten in Team of the Year

Having put her stamp on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup — perhaps a bit too literally — where she finished runners-up with the England team, Lauren James finished a most excellent 2022-23 season with a recognition for her efforts in the form of the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award.

The 21-year-old James, younger sister of Chelsea men’s team captain, Reece James, truly came into her own over the past year, setting a new career high in appearances with 33 as Chelsea won yet another Double (WSL and FA Cup).

Commensurate with those team successes, we also have a couple players who were named in the PFA’s Team of the Year, including Guro Reiten and goal machine Sam Kerr, who scored (at least) 29 goals in all competitions for the third straight season. Remarkable, really. Kerr’s ten goals shy of century for the club — and she’s only in her fourth season!

And of course we shouldn’t forget about Reiten, who was freed from having to play wing-back as often as she had in prior seasons, and responded with a Chelsea-career-best campaign of her own as well (13 goals, most ever in a Chelsea shirt, along with countless assists). Nice.

Congrats to all three!