On the first day of August in 2015, Fran Kirby was sitting in the stands at Wembley, watching as Chelsea won their first major trophy.
The 22-year-old had signed from Reading three weeks earlier but was cup-tied for that FA Cup final against Notts County. First piece of silverware and star signing both in hand, that month was a coming-of-age moment for Emma Hayes’ Chelsea.
Chelsea had overcome early hurdles under Hayes, appointed three years earlier, to situate themselves at the top of the domestic women’s game. They fought off Manchester City and Arsenal to recruit the most in-demand young prospect in England, and Kirby’s signing was proof of their new status. No player has done more in the past decade to cement it.
On Saturday, Kirby announced she would be leaving the club at the expiry of her contract this summer. “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,” she said.
A mercurial talent, Kirby had made history earlier in that summer of 2015 when she was selected for England’s World Cup squad despite not having made a Women’s Super League appearance. Her goalscoring for Reading in what was then WSL 2, today’s Championship,…
