Lauren James will not forget 2023 in a hurry.

Sensational performances for both Chelsea and England have thrust her into the limelight, with the forward now considered a budding superstar.

There has been adversity too — namely a World Cup campaign which started with huge promise before being overshadowed by a petulant red card.

As the Blues prepare to face Paris FC in the Women's Champions League this evening, we take a closer look at James' rapid rise.

Wise beyond her years

Buzz has surrounded James, 22, since she was training with Arsenal as a 13-year-old.

Her exceptional talent saw Manchester United sign her at 16 and throw her straight into their first team before Chelsea came calling in 2021 with a £200,000 bid.

The fee seems modest in comparison to the men's game but it was a significant outlay — though it already looks a bargain.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes was careful to ease James into life in West London, attempting to calm talk surrounding the youngster whenever possible.

But she was only able to contain the hype for so long.

Highs and lows

James' impressive 2022-23 campaign, which included eight goals in 33 appearances across all competitions, saw her voted PFA Women's Young Player of the Year.

That prompted Hayes and Chelsea to tie her down to a new four-year deal in June — a month before the 2023 World Cup where her talents were showcased to the world.

Living up to her billing, James' stunning strike against Denmark — only her second senior England goal — was followed up with a brilliant brace against China to set the tournament's group stage alight.

But her world came crashing down in the last 16 when an inexcusable stamp on the back of Nigeria's Michelle Alozie saw her given a straight red card.

She subsequently missed the Lionesses' wins over Colombia and Australia before being unable to inspire a turnaround from the bench during their defeat to Spain in the final.

Back to her best

Such a whirlwind experience would leave a mark on some players, but not James.

She started her Women's Super League campaign with a goal in the opening-day win over Tottenham and last weekend netted her first top-level hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of Liverpool.

After that terrific treble, Hayes made no secret of how highly she rates her No10.

She said: "Lauren knows what I think of her. She's a young player still and we always want everything from young players but she showed the best of herself. She was unstoppable.

"She's the most naturally gifted footballer in the country. She does things with very little backlift. Forget the technical bit, she's really intelligent." 

Parting gift

Earlier this month, Hayes sent women's football into shock by announcing she will leave London next summer.

Set to become the new USA women boss, the 47-year-old will hope her final season with Chelsea is as trophy-laden as the previous ones.

Hayes is yet to taste Champions League success but with James in her ranks, this season looks as good an opportunity as any to conquer Europe.

On her manager's pending departure, James said: "I've had a difficult last week with the news and everything so I am just thankful I could get some confidence back with this performance."

If her self-belief has been lacking previously, Paris may be in for a tough evening.