Lauren James: Dad Nigel ‘not surprised’ as the England forward stars in Australia

“I’ve seen her do things like that before. She has an unbelievable technique that she has worked on for many years, but when you see it at the World Cup, it’s amazing.

“I’m very proud to say we are the first family to produce two kids – one male and one female – playing for England [since records began].”

Following the game James shared a few quiet words of encouragement with his daughter on the phone.

“I spoke to her after the game and told her how proud I was,” he added. “I told her how she had made the whole family and the country proud. To keep going, keep believing, get her rest and go again.

“She just said, ‘Thanks dad’.”

Having overseen Lauren’s development from a young age, Nigel, whose non-league career was cruelly cut short by injury before he turned to coaching, says something would have been “really wrong” if his daughter did not hit the heights.

“There was a time where people were focused on fitness and her work off the ball but sometimes you have to focus more on what they can do and not what they can’t do,” said James.

“Me and her brothers had to keep drumming into her how fantastic she is. She manipulates the ball and it’s easy and there is no pressure.

“We don’t see too many Diego Maradonas or Ronaldinhos anymore, so to be on the female side, when you see a player like that, you have to think to yourself ‘wow’.”

James’s three goals make her the joint-second top scorer in the World Cup, one behind Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa.

Asked if she could become a future Ballon d’Or Feminin winner, James said: “She can take it as far as she wants. If she remains fit and keeps developing, why not?”

England’s last-16 tie with Nigeria will be broadcast live on BBC One on Monday, 7 August at 08:30 BST.