Fran Kirby is witnessing the nation waking up to women’s football on a scale never seen before and having had a smile put on her face by the public, the England forward is hoping to return the favour.
Kirby has started all of England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 games so far as the hosts have reached their fourth semi-final in a row, where they will take on Sweden, and she and her fellow Lionesses have been cheered down the streets around their base camp in Teddington.
The Chelsea stalwart has been part of the past three semi-finals which have all ended in heartbreak, but she knows that England going one or two better can give the country a much-needed boost.
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“English people love a party, so it is any reason to do it,” Kirby said with a smile on her face. “It didn't start off at the beginning, but I think as the tournament's grown, we're just walking down the river, and you see people looking over going, ‘well done girls, we're supporting you’.
“It's just great. Obviously, it’s something that we’ve not really experienced before in terms of the level the WSL [Women’s Super League] generates comparing to this, it's incredible.
“Hopefully, we're giving the country something to smile about, and something to be proud of, in terms of the way that we've been playing, the way that we've been working.
“And if we get a chance to win in the semifinal and get through to a final, I think it will be incredible for people in this country to have that something to celebrate and enjoy.
“We want to do that as much as possible. As much as we want to win, we want to put smiles on people's faces, and those who are maybe going through a hard time in terms of fuel costs and the cost of living now.
“And hopefully, we can just give people an escape for 90-plus minutes when they turn the TV on, and they've got something to cheer about and something to watch and see how passionately we play for this country. Hopefully, it gives them that sense of pride and that switch off from everything that's going on.”
While Kirby has enjoyed the public’s reaction in between games, the consummate professional has been remaining cool, calm and collected immediately after their victories.
The diminutive striker has not been joining in with her teammates’ celebrations in front of packed-out stadiums, and hasn’t imagined raising the trophy aloft at Wembley in a week’s time.
She added: “To be honest, I've actually not thought about it. I'm quite cool and calm, with celebrations, obviously, some of the girls get involved, but I just like to stay subtle, go around, clap and then get back in and get ready for the next game.
“I'm a bit more low-key. It’s just everyone is different, some people buzz off it and get their energy off doing things like that and some people maybe don't. It’s just a personal preference.
“I haven't allowed myself to think of it just yet. [If it happens] then I can just go wild.”
Tickets are on sale now for fans to experience a history-making tournament that aims to unite football and communities and amplify the growth of the women’s game. www.uefa.com/womenseuro/ticketing
