Kirby retires from international football with England Women
BARCELONA: England Women's playmaker Fran Kirby has announced her retirement from international football after learning she was unlikely to be selected for Sarina Wiegman's squad for next month's Euros.
The 31-year-old, who earned 77 caps for the Lionesses, was one of England's key players during their victorious Euro 2022 campaign on home soil.
Kirby, who now plays for Brighton, enjoyed the most successful years of her career at Chelsea, where she won seven Women's Super League titles, five Women's FA Cups, and was twice named the PFA Women's Footballer of the Year.
"The plan was to retire after the Euros, but after speaking to Sarina, I'm not going to make the squad," Kirby told the BBC.
"It was like a dagger to my heart, but also a weight off my shoulders all at the same time. It was emotional for both of us, but we both respected what each person was saying."
Kirby had been part of the England squad for the Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain, and informed her team-mates of her decision after a 2–1 defeat to Spain on Tuesday.
Regarded from early in her career as one of the most talented English players of her generation, Kirby repeatedly battled back from serious injuries and spoke openly about her mental health struggles.
"Incredible footballer," said Wiegman. "Her touch, vision, positioning, game understanding, connections – but as a person, what she's had to face and how she's come back each time has been incredible too.
"She's been an inspiration to many and an exceptional role model."
The news comes just days after goalkeeper Mary Earps also announced her shock retirement from international football, only weeks before England begin their Euros title defence in Switzerland.
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