"“I know I am not the same player that I was when I was 25, I'm not naive. That's not who I am anymore, but I know what I can bring and that is creativity, the passes that other people won't try. I've always said it: I will always try a pass, even if it doesn't come off. That's how I play. I play with risk. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does.”"
"“A recent standout was Kirby's assist for Kiko Seike in Brighton's thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City. The obvious move was to play a pass into Seike's feet; instead Kirby squeezed the ball between two defenders, taking them out of the action, and into space for her Japanese teammate to collect and fire in.”"
"“After her Chelsea career was blighted by injuries and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining), it is wonderful to see a woman who earned 77 caps for England playing at such a level. I've always had belief in myself, Kirby says, sitting in Brighton's Lancing training ground before the Women's FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Sunday.”"
"“Even when things weren't going well, even when I wasn't playing, I felt like I could always do a job. A lot of people wrote me off. I know I've had my injuries, I know I had my illness, I know I didn't play much towards my end of my Chelsea career, so I can completely understand that, but I've always had belief in myself and belief from the coach and players, and having that makes you feel confident.”"
Fran Kirby, a 32-year-old Brighton forward, emphasizes that she is not the same player as at 25 but still knows what she can bring. She focuses on creativity and passes that others may not attempt, saying she will always try a pass even when it fails. Her approach involves playing with risk, and her vision for threading passes is shown in her assist for Kiko Seike against Manchester City, where she squeezed the ball between defenders to create space. After injuries and pericarditis disrupted her Chelsea career, she credits self-belief and support from coaches and teammates. She also describes becoming smarter on the pitch by assessing situations rather than rushing blindly.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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