It is the glint in her eye and her wide infectious smile that tells you the hunger for the game still burns brightly for Fran Kirby before she says a word. The body might have endured injuries and setbacks over the years, but Kirby’s mind retains the same lust for football as in those early days at Reading.
Last June, Kirby announced her international retirement a month before England began their defence of the European Championship, having three years earlier played a pivotal role in the Lionesses’ historic home triumph. Now, closing in on two seasons at Brighton following her switch from Chelsea, where she won an abundance of trophies and personal accolades, the 32-year-old doesn’t view life on the south coast as a seaside slowdown.
“When you come into a new team, you’re trying to find your feet a little bit, but I didn’t really feel that I had to,” Kirby says at Brighton’s Elite Football Performance Centre. “I just felt like I became part of the furniture.”
In her first season with Brighton, the club achieved their highest-ever Women’s Super League finish, fifth. This campaign has been more uneven: defeats to teams around them, most recently a collapse from 2-0 to lose 3-2 at West Ham and a loss to London City before the international break, leave Brighton eighth in the table and fighting to match last year’s success.
Kirby says she is still learning as a player under coach Dario Vidosic, currently on leave for personal reasons, and admits she is in “the latter stages” of her career. Her bank of experience and success — 77 England caps; seven WSL titles, five Women’s FA Cups and two Women’s League Cups with Chelsea; PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year twice; FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year twice; and a 2021 Ballon d’Or shortlist — means she is demanding of her team-mates.
She knows her “tough love” approach sits well with Brighton’s younger squad, led by captain Maise Symonds, just 23. “I came from a very demanding environment in terms of a team that wants to dominate, wants to always win trophies, and win football games. And I think I just tried to bring that experience here,” Kirby explains.
“It’s different coming into a building when you have a lot of younger players who are just maybe starting off in their career or trying to find their feet more in the WSL. You have to take into account what everyone is trying to achieve. And I’ve really enjoyed it. Sometimes the girls maybe think I’m being a bit harsh on them, but it’s because I know what they can do. I know what they’re capable of. I see them in training every day and you can see the way that we play football. I want to help them feel that confidence and be able to go on and achieve some amazing things.”
Kirby says for some team-mates it might have been an “eye-opener,” but her aim is to instil the same level of drive and ambition that has always been inbuilt. “I think sometimes they get a bit sick of me, but overall they love me and they know what I want to help them achieve.”
A self-motivated individual with relentless ambition, Kirby’s passion was intensified by working under Emma Hayes throughout her Chelsea spell after joining in 2014. Chelsea, now under Sonia Bompastor and fresh from retaining the Women’s League Cup, have slipped from their long hold on the WSL title this season, currently trailing leaders Manchester City. The shift in the table has created an unexpected, exciting shake-up for fans.
“It’s different this year that Chelsea are not top of the pile, but it’s always been quite close. The last however many years has come down to goal difference or the final game of the season. So, as much as Chelsea have dominated for so many years, there’s always been that kind of title race,” Kirby says. “It might look comfortable for Manchester City at the moment but so many things can change. It takes a couple of games just for things to get a little bit nervy. And, you know, if you lose a couple of games, it gets difficult. It’s really exciting for me to watch it and obviously not be a part of the title race. But we’re also here to maybe ruffle some feathers along the way.”
Injuries and inconsistency have affected Chelsea this season and a lack of firepower — 29 goals compared to Manchester City’s 47 so far — has been notable. You could argue Chelsea have missed Kirby’s ability to produce moments of magic from midfield: popping up with crucial winners and turning games on their head. Kirby remains Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer with 116 goals in 208 appearances.
Now at Brighton, she is preparing to challenge her former club. “When I left Chelsea, I said to the girls, even if I play against you, I’m going to want to win because you know who I am and you know what I’m about. I’m excited to play against them. Excited to play against the girls that I know and also play in front of the fans who I played in front of for so many years and always showed me so much love. It’s all love until the whistle blows.”
Passion until the end. And when it comes to Fran Kirby, you wouldn’t expect it any other way.
Brighton travel to Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 7pm.