Kirby to leave Chelsea at the end of the season | OneFootball

Fran Kirby has announced she will leave Chelsea Women at the end of the season after nine successful years at the club.

The 30-year-old will depart the club at the end of her contract and will leave as Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 115 goals in 205 appearances since joining from Reading in 2015, which at the time was a British record fee for a female player.

Since then, Kirby has been a two-time winner of the PFA Women’s Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Women’s awards and has won 70 caps for England, scoring 19 goals and helping them win the Euros in 2022.

“I always wanted to win growing up, so coming to a club that shared that ambition was something that I valued,” Kirby told the club’s official website. “That is one of the main reasons I joined the club. I believe the club could help me do that.

“To leave with the trophies that I have won, with the team-mates I’ve played with – some of the world’s best players – it has been one of the biggest privileges of my life.

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“The support I’ve had has been unmatched. When I had my illness, my injuries, that’s when I’ve made some friends for life. I will never forget that no matter how bad I felt during those moments, I always felt loved and supported.

“For me, I was just a young girl who loved football. And it still is that now. I’m a bit older now, but still someone who just loves to play football.

“Part of my job is to play well, win trophies and football games. If I can do that and inspire young girls to be footballers or any form of athlete. That is enough for me.

“Growing up I never thought I could impact it so much. So I’m really proud I have been able to impact in a positive way and doing that for a club like Chelsea is something I’m really proud of.

“Hopefully, I leave the club in a better place than when I first came in. For me then, the job is done.