Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says that forward Fran Kirby is a legend of the women’s game with the player on the verge of reaching two new milestones for The Blues.
The England international is just one goal short of 20 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League while she is two goals away from hitting her 100th in a Chelsea shirt.
When speaking in her pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League fixture against Servette FCCF, Hayes hailed the impact which Kirby has made both for Chelsea and in the women’s game.
“She’s two goals away from 100 and it is important that she reaches that landmark,” Hayes told FAWSL Full-Time. “This is a legend, an absolute legend of the women’s game and someone who I think is getting better, she is getting better in terms of everything that she is doing both with the team and herself, in terms of the way that she is managing herself.
“She’s crucial to our success and long may that continue because she is managing herself on and off the pitch to keep herself at the top of her game. As I have said a million times over, if she does that, I am sure that England will benefit from it too.”
When asked about her favourite Kirby goal in Europe, Hayes turned the clock back four years to re-live a goal which she believes was on a par with Michael Owen’s famous strike for England against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup in 1998.
“Bayern Munich away, I’ll never forget it” Hayes said. “It was early on in our years, we had shown our resilience and grit and for her to break on a counter attack from a Ramona Bachmann pass reminds me of Michael Owen and one of his first goals for England when he scored against Argentina.
“Similar goal, similar finish….brilliant goal.”
Kirby will be looking to reach at least one, if not both of her milestones, when Chelsea face Servette FCCF at Kingsmeadow on Thursday evening. The game kicks-off at 8pm and tickets are on general sale here.
About The Author
