Image credits-Viagogo | Ben Awin
Retirement, euros and the growth of the women's game, super Fran style.
After hearing that she would not attend the Euros in Switzerland this summer, Fran Kirby announced her retirement from international football at the end of the last international break.
This announcement came within days of Mary Earps' immediate retirement drama and Millie Bright's withdrawal from selection. She also praised Sarina Wiegman for handling her retirement news and said she had nothing bad to say about her international career.
She spoke about the decision coming with great sadness, but has since seen the positives. She is excited about watching the lioness at the Euros and not having to analyse the opposition anymore.
Mary Earp's retirement and Millie Bright's Withdrawal
She said at an event hosted by leading ticket marketplace, viagogo
that Mary's retirement from international duty would be news, as any player's retirement from international duty would be news.
“When you have Mary, who's been a massive advocate for the women's game, making that announcement, I remember I was in my bedroom and I was like, oh no.
“Because there was already that thought in my mind that that was going to be a possibility as well.”
“As players, we respect it.
“When you've given so much to the game and so much to your country for such a long time, you only make that decision if you know 100% it's the right decision to make.”
She joked that football taught her never to be surprised; in this case, you have to respect their decision.
The Brighton forward praised Millie Bright's bravery, mentioning her mental health struggle as a reason for not going to the Euros.
Kirby said: “I think for me, I would just respect everything that they've done when they put on an English shirt and the way that they've paved the way for the younger players coming through who have learned off those players in the environment.”
The media went into a frenzy surrounding the three experienced leaders' departure. She said this: “When I look in the squad, I don't see a lack of leaders.
“There was no kind of panic.
“It was a case of, OK, these girls have made the decision.
“We need to carry on moving forward and get ourselves in a position that we're ready to go.”
Her retirement
When speaking about her own retirement, she spoke at length about the conversations she had with Sarin and the support she gave her.
The lioness said, “I wanted to stay for the rest of the camp, and I wanted to tell the girls in the changing room to their faces so I could thank them all for everything and wish them good luck.
“And they didn't find out through social media.”
Coming into the season, she knew this Euros was likely to be her last international tournament, so she worked as much as she could to put herself in the best position to be selected, and she invested everything to try and make this possible.
However, after conversations with Sarina, it became doubtful, which was tough for an athlete to hear.
She said: “It's tough for someone to be told that. But, you know, I respected honesty and, you know, having that conversation. So then, you know, I could kind of then give her my honesty.”
Relationship with Sarina
Sarina Wiegman has recently been criticised surrounding the possibility that Mary Earp retirement came after she was informed she would not be the number one choice for England's Goalkeeper this summer.
Kirby had only positive things to say about the England manager and how much she respected her and her decision to retire, she gave her the option to leave and go home last international break or to stay Kirby stayed as she wanted to be there for the team.
The forward said: “I want to train hard. I want to be here. I want to enjoy my last few days as an England player.
“The last training session, you know, she tried to, you know, give me some good feedback from training.
“She really respected the way that I wanted to tell people and how I wanted to tell people. So, you know, for me, she was great in that period.
”I have nothing bad to say about my experience because I'm proud of my international career.
“And I'm really proud and happy with the way that it kind of ended.”
This summer
England's first game of the Euros is on the 5th July against France.
The ex-Chelsea player said that any first game of a tournament is important regardless of who you're playing.
While reflecting on 2015 a decade ago at the World Cup where they played France in a tough game and did not get the result they wanted but managed to still get out of the group.
She said: “It's a really important game, yes, but every single game in a tournament is important if you want to go on and win it.
“It's important for you to show what your team's about. It shows what you've done to get to this point and the training that you've done behind the scenes. For me, it's not a case of who they're playing.”
Young Generation
She said: “I think if I was talking to myself as a younger player, I'd be taken in everything.
“Embrace it, take it in, enjoy it. Obviously, you're going to represent your country in a tournament. There's not many people in the world who can say that.
I think it would be a case of enjoy it and be ready for it.”
Her Legacy
Fran Kirby will always be known as super Fran which is enough for her.
She wants to be known as someone who gave everything whenever they put on the shirt. Last year proved how much she would work to get a small chance to represent that badge.
she has spoken at length throughout her career surrounding her setbacks and dealing with things not everyone has had to deal with in their professional career and yet she overcame them each time even when it became harder and harder
Ultimately she said she wanted to be remembered as: “someone who never gave up, always kept fighting, always kept pushing. And even with my situation now, you know, I fought every single time I went into camp to be available for Euros and to get picked for Euros. And that is something that I think about being able to leave the squad that I'm really, really proud of.”
She most definitely can walk out with her held high knowing that she gave everything to the country she loved to play for.
To make her loved one proud of what she has achieved.
Finally she coined this: “For me to be able to say that even with everything that I went through, I still gave everything every time I put that shirt on. And I gave everything to put that shirt on, too.”
Thank you SuperFran for all you have done, this is not the end of the WSL season that starts back in September.
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