Fran Kirby, Brighton's forward, showcases her creativity and experience on the pitch at 32, emphasizing her ability to assess plays rather than rush. She reflects on her journey from injuries to regaining confidence and making impactful assists.
Fran Kirby knows what she brings. She always has. The Brighton forward is not young for a footballer but, at 32, sheâs not old either and, injury free, is reminding people she still has it. âI know I am not the same player that I was when I was 25, Iâm not naive,â she says. âThatâs not who I am anymore, but I know what I can bring and that is creativity, the passes that other people wonât try. Iâve always said it: I will always try a pass, even if it doesnât come off. Thatâs how I play. I play with risk. Sometimes it doesnât work, sometimes it does.â
That eye for a pass is regularly on display. A recent standout was Kirbyâs assist for Kiko Seike in Brightonâs thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City. The obvious move was to play a pass into Seikeâs feet; instead Kirby squeezed the ball between two defenders, taking them out of the action, and into space for her Japanese teammate to collect and fire in. It was vintage Kirby and, after her Chelsea career was blighted by injuries and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining), it is wonderful to see a woman who earned 77 caps for England playing at such a level.
âIâve always had belief in myself,â Kirby says, sitting in Brightonâs Lancing training ground before the Womenâs FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Sunday. âEven when things werenât going well, even when I wasnât playing, I felt like I could always do a job.
âA lot of people wrote me off. I know Iâve had my injuries, I know I had my illness, I know I didnât play much towards my end of my Chelsea career, so I can completely understand that, but Iâve always had belief in myself and belief from the coach and players, and having that makes you feel confident. Sometimes you just need to get a rhythm, you need to get a flow.â
Kirby is more thoughtful on the pitch too. Age and experience have helped. âIâve become smarter: instead of running around like a headless chicken, I stand and assess how everything else is going and Iâll see where people are standing defensively,â she says. âI just try to use my brain a little bit more. Of course, I always do the work defensively that Iâm asked to do, I always do the runs that Iâm asked to do, but itâs more taking the time to think: âOK, what does this moment need? I think I can assess it better than I did when I was 25.â
There is also a greater understanding of her body and its needs. âSome people out there say they donât want their club to sign players over 30, but we understand our bodies more than ever,â Kirby says. âWe understand the game, weâve been there, done that. Where Iâm at now, I understand my body more than I ever did when I was 22, 23, or 25.
âSometimes you have to do multiple things before training to warm everything up. Itâs coming in for treatment, ice baths at home, going in the pool at home in the evening when everyoneâs sitting on their sofa. Itâs a lot of different things just to make sure that everything is on the same page.â
Fran Kirby emphasizes her creativity and ability to assess plays, stating she plays with risk and always tries a pass, even if it doesn't succeed.
Kirby provided a standout assist for Kiko Seike, threading the ball between two defenders to create a scoring opportunity.
Kirby has dealt with injuries and pericarditis during her time at Chelsea, which affected her playing time and led some to doubt her abilities.
Kirby has become more thoughtful and strategic on the pitch, focusing on assessing situations rather than rushing into plays.
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The forwardâs programme is highly individualised and she is grateful for the buy-in from those around her at Brighton into keeping her playing. âItâs a credit tothe coaching staff, medical staff, strength and conditioning staff for understanding me,â she says. âThatâs been really nice for me as a player, I want to be able to play every game and if thereâs a way that I can do that and everyoneâs willing to go with that plan, then thatâs really great.
Fran Kirby: âThe culture Brighton Women have, the belief we have, the work people are doing for each other on the pitch is huge.â Photograph: James Holyoak/Shutterstock
âThereâs been a whole period of time, especially with my knee at Chelsea, thatâs been in pain since I was 15 years old. If you were to ask me that before my surgery, I would say it was a pain every single day.â
Having had so many enforced breaks from playing, Kirby is focused on doing what she can to play for as long as possible. There is no headspace for anything but football. Even lounging on the sofa or walking the dog has her thinking about how those activities can contribute to recovery. âI donât think my head ever switches off and I think that drives the people in my life quite crazy,â she says. âBut itâs just because I know itâs been nearly taken away from me on numerous occasions and I know playing isnât forever. So, while Iâm in it, I have to give it everything, I have to invest in it, I have to do what I can. When I leave the training ground, Iâm still a footballer. Iâm a professional footballer 24-7. It doesnât end.â
Kirbyâs current physical condition contributes to how much she is enjoying football and life at Brighton, but there are other factors. Not least the culture at the club, which she credits for the teamâs recent run of form, beginning with a 2-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals. That was followed by a 3-2 win over Manchester City, a 1-1 draw with Manchester United and Wednesdayâs 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Womenâs Super League, a result that handed City the title.
âItâs really hard to keep a strong culture in a room full of so many people with so many different emotions,â Kirby says. âThe culture that we have, the belief that we have, the work that people are doing for each other on the pitch is huge. You can be as good as you want at football but if youâre not willing to run through a brick wall for the person to your left and to your right, or make the right decision in the right moment thatâs right for the team, then youâre not contributing to that culture. Weâve created something here with everyone involved and the desire to make this special.â
What was even more impressive about Brightonâs draw with Arsenal on Wednesday was that they made seven changes with this semi-final in mind. âPeople underestimate how difficult it is not to be picked to play and how that feels as a player,â says Kirby. âThe disappointment that they have week after week of not being selected can really build up and create a really negative feeling in you. For the girls who havenât played much, who maybe havenât got the minutes that they want to get, it was a really big moment for them to put out that performance. Everyone was so proud of the players who were on the pitch because it showed how hard theyâve been working.â
Kirby with the Womenâs Euro 2022 trophy after Englandâs triumph. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters
Credit also goes to the manager Dario Vidosic. âHeâs pure football,â says Kirby. âThe way he wants to play, the style of play, I enjoy it, I feel it suits me as a player and itâs probably brought out a different side of my footballing ability as well.â
The chance to help Brighton reach an FA Cup final is a large carrot for a five-times winner of the competition, but doing it for Vidosic, who lost his father, Rado, also a coach at Brighton, in January would mean a huge amount to Kirby too. âHe deserves it,â she says. âHeâs had a really tough year. Obviously, it was a really tough point for the club as well. The way that he handled himself, the way he conducted himself, I donât think many would have been able to do it.
âHe is someone that loves this football club, even though he hasnât been here that long. Heâs a fantastic coach and the way heâs coached us this year, the way heâs improved this team, he deserves his chance to play at Wembley. Hopefully we can do it for him, hopefully we can do it for his dad and for his whole family too, to show that what he sacrificed, in terms of coming back so early after his dad passed away, was worth it. I hope weâre able to do that for him.â