Chelsea all-star Fran Kirby, who has been on the sidelines for a considerable amount of time with a knee injury, has spoken on her return to the pitch and has thanked the fans for their ‘incredible’ support.

Kirby has been a driving force for Chelsea this season, having played in all of their WSL games so far. As things stand, the Blues sit just behind Manchester City in second place on goal difference.

After missing the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where England reached the final of the tournament, Kirby has revelled in her return to the Lionesses’ squad when they beat Belgium by a score of 1-0.

What did Fran Kirby say about her return?

On her return from injury, Kirby said [via Sky Sports]: “It feels like I haven’t been away. Obviously, I know a lot of the girls from playing against them. Everyone who has come in has brought a fresh face and a new standard. It has been nice to be in training around them and getting to know them more personally.

“I don’t think I need to mould in at all, I’m probably one of the oldest players here now. I think I know what I’m doing. It’s nice to be on the pitch, it’s nice to get a win, so I’m happy. I’ve been working really hard over the summer to try and get back as quickly as possible and to be involved tonight was really special.

“At the beginning, it was quite tough because you don’t really know when the end of the injury is. I accepted quite early on that I wasn’t going to be part of the World Cup squad, not that it made it any easier.

“I was able to support the girls and feel the same emotions that they were feeling and going through. Being back with them now just means that all of the hard work paid off in the summer.”

What did Kirby say to the Chelsea fans?

Speaking to the Chelsea and England fans, Kirby said: “The support that I’ve had over the past year has been incredible from fans – national team and Chelsea. I can’t fault anyone for their support and that has been really pivotal for me coming back.

“It’s frustrating when I’m injured and can’t be out there, so to hear that reception when I came on is really special and it’s something that I won’t forget.

“I’ve been working really hard to get back out on the pitch as much as possible and I want to stay there.”