– My mother used to say that I was going to be the best player in the world. She was my biggest fan and motivator, Fran Kirby openly tells The Players Tribune. She is one of England’s biggest stars, the attacker who is a daily fixture at Chelsea. When opposing teams prepare to meet her, it is often said that one must be on guard, because she can find solutions that no one thinks are possible. Kirby has several series golds, cup golds and individual titles, but it has been painful as she has not been able to share it with the person she was closest to. Earlier this year, she spoke openly about the inexplicable illness that caused her to use an oxygen mask in her spare time, and now you will hear the story of how Kirby lost her mother, and then stopped playing football. Fainting at evaluation meeting Fran Kirby comes from Reading in England, and as a seven-year-old she was recruited to the football academy of the same name, despite the fact that on paper she was too young. The girls’ academy were good. They played in the boys’ section and were, as usual, made fun of before the start of the match, but after the end of the match the tone was different. Several times the girls won by double figures. LONG SPEED TIME: Kirby’s career started in Reading. Here she is in training during the EC. Photo: CARL RECINE / Reuters After her seventh season at Reading, Kirby and her mother traveled to the annual evaluation meeting with the team of coaches. There they discussed what Kirby had been good at that season, what had not been so good, and what she needed to work on. It was a completely normal conversation, before mother suddenly broke in and said: “I don’t feel so well”. She laid her head on the table and fainted. The doctors said that mother had suffered a brain haemorrhage, and that there was little they could do. The positive and happy Kirby still thought it was going to be okay. She went to her best friend’s house and slept over. The next day they sat in the garden. Kirby recalls that it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and they were enjoying themselves, but the good mood was interrupted when reality hit again. Kirby had to go back to the hospital, and the tragic news was given: her mother is dead. – I remember that nothing special happened to our family. We didn’t talk about it for a very long time. It’s probably the worst thing one could do, says Kirby. Quit playing football Kirby focused on his football career. She thrived well in Reading, and was gradually brought in on assignments for the age-specific national team. She had everything she could dream of. All the way to grief, bring her in again. As a 17-year-old, a lot had changed for Kirby. She was no longer the happy and laughing girl you could hear from afar. BLID: Fran Kirby was not so smiling in those days. Here before the start of the match against Sweden in the EC. Photo: MOLLY DARLINGTON / Reuters At that time she had traveled to the national team meeting in Manchester, but she felt that something was not right. She didn’t feel at home, sitting in a room with her trainer. Suddenly she said it bluntly: “I want to go home”. It came as a surprise to the management, who of course came with their follow-up questions. “I don’t want this anymore. I miss my mother,” she continued, and wept. – It’s embarrassing to think back on, she says. The following days were spent in bed, or visiting the physiotherapist in Reading. The physiotherapist had taken young Kirby on his behalf, and always stood up if he needed it. She stopped playing football, and struggled to do everyday things such as schoolwork and taking the bus. – I felt like a zombie. My world came crashing down, says Kirby. FIND JOY: Today, Kirby is among England’s biggest stars. She can thank her friend for that. Photo: MOLLY DARLINGTON / Reuters The turning point But mother was right in her time. Playing football was what Kirby loved, and he was to become one of the world’s best football players. The passion for the sport came creeping back when a friend asked if she wanted to join her team. They only played matches on Sundays, skipped warm-up and went to the pub afterwards. It took the pressure off. The joy of football returned and Kirby then returned to Reading. Then she got her first professional contract with the senior team, and a short time later she was picked up for the A national team. – She is probably the only true genius in English football, writes The Guardian’s sports journalist Jonathan Liew about Kirby’s creative qualities. Fran Kirby has delivered two goals and three assists so far in this year’s EC. Her greatest wish Today, Kirby plays for Chelsea, in a team with Guro Reiten and Maren Mjelde. The Norwegian national team players have nothing but praise for their teammate. – She can open every single defence, and has some skills with the ball and a speed that is absolutely raw, Reiten has told news previously. Several have crossed paths with Kirby on the way to the top. Talent scout Steven Fraser wishes her every success. – She has been through so much, and yet she has seen herself in a position where she can win medals and receive international accolades. No one deserves it more than she, he says, according to FourFourTwo. On Sunday, she will play her first final in the EC, and complete what her mother made her train against already as a youngster. – Mum was extremely important to me in everything I’ve done, and the memory of her has become a motivation for me, she says. The tears will probably come this time too, regardless of the final result. – I think about him every day, but especially when things are going well. It’s because I want to celebrate with him. To see me win what I’ve done would be the biggest wink of her life, says Kirby. The EC final against Germany will be played at 18.00 on Sunday, and you can watch it on news.
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