Chelsea and England star Fran Kirby 'never worried' about missing Euro 2022 despite fitness issues

Fran Kirby never worried that she would miss the Euro 2022 tournament despite problems with fitness over the course of the last season. The 28-year-old Chelsea player was part of the side that won the Women’s Super League last season but missed an extended period with fitness problems. Ad/> However she told Our Game Mag that she was in regular conversation with England’s head coach, Sarina Wiegman, to keep her informed of her circumstances and was ultimately included in the squad for this summer’s tournament.

UEFA Women's ChampionshipWhere is Euro 2022 taking place? Format, fixtures and schedule3 HOURS AGO “It was one of those when you’re sitting there waiting for your phone to light up and say, ‘go to the room,’ a bit like X Factor, but no, it was nice,” she said. “I walked in and I saw her smiling so then I was like, ‘Okay, hopefully she’s not smiling and sending me home.’ But yeah, it was really nice. She told me that she knew all along I was going to be an important part of this team, and we had some really honest conversations leading into it.

“I said to her, ‘I need you to be honest with me and I’ll be honest with you. If we both feel like I’m not ready, then we make that decision.’ /> “Obviously, it was a good conversation and she could see in the two weeks going into the Euros that I was growing in the team and I was in training and didn’t really feel like I’d been away, so that’s always a nice feeling.” Kirby was fit by the end of the season and believed she was ready for inclusion for the Euros. She explained:“That was a conversation I had with her.