I would always want my former teammate Fran Kirby in my England team. Who wouldn’t? It did not look like it would be a possibility in the months leading up to the Euros because of fatigue problems but in the 63 minutes Kirby played of the opening-game victory over Austria she showed how important she is to this England side.
It might not have been the 5-0 or 6-0 victory the 68,871 inside Old Trafford wanted but it is the perfect platform to build on, especially after all the pressure on the hosts coming into the Euros. Tournament football is all about momentum and three points against Austria puts England in a good position going into their second match, against Norway on Monday. I have had my concerns about England’s goalscoring and this was shown at Old Trafford but when it mattered Kirby made the difference.
