Fran Kirby’s ‘whirlwind’ summer continued when she signed for Chelsea Ladies in a British transfer record yesterday.
And England’s World Cup heroes are headed for a celebration breakfast with Prince William at Kensington Palace today.
Kirby put pen to paper after the brave Lionesses roared to third place and a bronze medal in Canada.
The move is a step up for England’s ‘Mini Messi’, who struck 11 goals in the first five games of the season for Reading FC Women.
But the England hot-shot, who netted in England’s win over Mexico, says the challenge of testing herself in the FA Women’s Super League is one she is relishing.
MINI MESSI: Kirby celebrates signing for Chelsea after World Cup heroics with England
Kirby said: “It’s pretty incredible for me. The last couple of months have been a bit of a whirlwind and this is the cherry on top.
“Chelsea is a club I’ve wanted to be involved in for a long time and it’s really good to come here and be a Chelsea player now. For me, it’s a challenge. It’s a case of learning and adapting.
“I’ve trained with and been away with England and that’s never been a problem so now it’s time for me to challenge myself and push myself forward in WSL 1 and mirror some of the things I’ve done for Reading and England.”
Meanwhile, the England squad tweeted their approval of the fare on offer at the Queen’s place of residence.
The croissants though👌🏻@KensingtonRoyal ! @AlexScott @LucyBronze pic.twitter.com/BA1WMEvdgv
— Karen Bardsley (@klbardsley) July 9, 2015
And after dining with Prince William, the Lionesses will head to Wimbledon later today to take in the semi-finals of the women’s singles.
Kirby admitted that it may be hard to come back down to earth after such a groundbreaking summer, but she hopes the England team’s success will usher in a golden period for women’s football.
Kirby said: “It was an absolute rollercoaster, I’m so happy I had the opportunity to do it and it was incredible being around the girls and how well we got on.
“I think we will all feel such a buzz now until the end of the season and hopefully the football will be at the centre of people’s minds and more people will want to come down to watch the games and be involved and understand who we are as people.”
