As she prepares to win her eighth England cap in Thursday’s meeting with China at Manchester, Reading’s goal-den girl Fran Kirby is ignoring calls for her to be playing top flight club football in order to further her international career.
By Tony Leighton
Striker Kirby, who is the only Women’s Super League second tier player in the current England squad, scored 24 WSL2 goals last season and has hit the net 10 times in her club’s first three games of the new campaign.
“That league is way too easy for her,” the 122-times capped Arsenal full back Alex Scott told the BBC Women’s Football Show, echoing the thoughts of the many who thought that Kirby would join a WSL1 team during the close season.
“Fran needs to step up to the next level to really test herself and push on as a player,” added Scott. Strong words from the Gunners player, but Kirby is just as vehement in defending her decision to stay at Reading.
Having signed a four-year professional contract with the Royals during the winter break, she insisted: “I’m happy where I am. I’ve not spoken to any (WSL1) clubs, and in any case Reading would always have been my first choice.”
On her international standing the 21-year-old striker added: “I got into the England squad last year playing WSL2 football and showed I was good enough – and if it was a problem I wouldn’t be in the squad.”
Kirby is aiming to use the friendly against China at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium, England’s last game before heading to the summer’s World Cup finals, to cement her place in the squad for the tournament in Canada.
“It’s still a bit of a shock to get an email with an England call-up,” she admitted, “but after half a year in the squad I’m feeling more comfortable around the group and it would be fantastic to be part of the squad for Canada.”
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