It’s been a long and rocky road back to full recovery for the jewel in Chelsea’s glittering crown, Fran Kirby, who now once again finds herself front and centre of England jubilation after the Lionesses stormed to a brutalising 8-0 rampage over a strong Norway side that not even the most loyal England supporter saw coming.
When speaking at the Lionesses’ media day on a sweltering Tuesday at St George’s Park in June, Kirby, following gentle, sympathetic encouragement from those surrounding reporters gripped to her every word, shared her harrowing experiences of recent years, revealing the battles she has endured, her words vulnerable and sincere.
According to the Reading-born midfielder, or more the medical professionals whose attention she required, her sustained absence was due to an over-exhaustion, both mentally and physically. A diagnosis of this nature renders it challenging to pin a date for Kirby, once labelled ‘mini-Messi’ by her former England coach Mark Sampson, to return to both club and national team football.
