Fran Kirby has warned England's rivals that she is still nowhere near her best and says the Lionesses are aiming to peak in the final of the European Championship after starting the tournament with a 1-0 win over Austria last night.
Kirby was England's standout player at a sold-out Old Trafford, making the only goal for Beth Mead, but the hosts failed to capitalise on their early advantage and faced late pressure from an unfancied Austrian side.
Kirby did not play for Chelsea from February after suffering from extreme fatigue and says she and the team will grow as the Euros progress.
"We know we have to improve throughout the tournament but overall we're happy with the performance and we can build on it," Kirby told Standard Sport.
“I'm feeling really good. Each game, I feel my performance has grown. It takes some time to get used to the level of international football again.
"Before Christmas I was playing some of my best football so I'm just trying to concentrate on how I was playing then and hopefully bring it in, but I still know my performance isn't at the level I want it to be, even though I felt good today. I want to keep building it; I'd rather peak at the final than in the first game.
"You can't peak in the first game, you want to build. We know we can play better but we're happy we put on a good performance, created some good chances in front of an amazing crowd. But I'm excited to see how much we can build throughout this tournament and keep growing as a team.”
A youthful crowd of 68,871 - a new record for a Women's Euros game - cheered on the Lionesses in Manchester, underlining the tournament's potential to inspire the next generation.
Kirby insisted England's priority is to win a first Euros title but said they are always trying to capture the country's imagination too.
“[The atmosphere] was incredible," she said. "When we came out for the warm-up, it was really, really special.
"It was a moment I won't forget for a long time and my family and friends were in the audience as well, so you can't ask for much better than that.
"Our priority is to win the tournament but to also show young boys and young girls that these things are achievable, to play in front of 70,000 people at Old Trafford.
"When I was growing up, I never even imagined that was possible. For me I think anything that’s going to help grow the game in this country and all over the world, I think it’s a positive thing regardless of whether we win or whether we don’t.
"I’m a winner, so I want to win first. But we do everything we can to inspire younger people to see their dreams become a reality, that’s something we’re proud of doing."
