"Hopefully the day after the Manchester United game coming up won't be as dramatic as the day after the last!". Share. Chelsea forward Fran Kirby was told she ‘may not play again’ after a recent illness that saw her sidelined for the majority of last season. Pinterest. ‘With no football it's probably good for me because, in a selfish way, I wouldn't be quite ready to play yet. Kirby has said she has renewed energy and her team-mates are saying she is like a new signing. 0. It has allowed Kirby more valuable time to recover. Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Fran Kirby has scored twice in the opening three games of the WSL, Watch Arsenal ace Vivianne Miedema score incredible goal against Reading, Blues' win over Manchester City in the Community Shield, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). I couldn't really have many conversations with people because I just felt so tired. I've felt really good in training. Fran Kirby discusses her recovery from illness 22 May 2020 Chelsea FC Women forward Fran Kirby, who says she is in a ‘better place’, has thanked the people closest to her for the continued support since being diagnosed with a medical condition called pericarditis that has kept her out of football since November. Facebook. ‘I had people around me that could see I was that poorly and still trying to help me, even though sometimes I may have come across rude - I was just in a fog in my head, to be honest. Kirby was diagnosed with pericarditis, a … The West Londoners are preparing to defend their Continental Cup trophy against last year's finalists, Arsenal, in their opening tie on Wednesday. I knew that eventually I would be able to come back, whether it took two weeks, whether it took six months, I was like, 'I'm going to get over this'.”. April 15, 2020. Now I'm kind of at the same level as everyone else.'. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. FRAN KIRBY revealed she is still rebuilding her confidence after being told she may never play football again due to a rare heart condition. "It just made me realise how precious these moments are, for you to play football, and you should never take things for granted. I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t. Digg. I've learned a lot about myself and the people around me and how important they are. And she added she was determined to get over the illness. And the strike sensation told Chelsea's official website : “I feel 100 per cent fit. I would start a conversation, then switch off and not finish. Telegram. Tottenham Hotspur v London City Lionesses - 3.30pm, Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United - 7.30pm, Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City - 7.45pm, Van Dijk reportedly facing 'seven or eight months out' after star 'injures ACL', Bruno, Wan-Bissaka and Rashford score late as Utd come back to win, Man Utd delete tweet over away fans 'climbing 14 flights of stairs' amid PPV angers, Real & Barca to fight for Fernandes in shock move after just 8 months in England, Palace complete Butland transfer for £500k - a year after Stoke demanded £23m, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. "If I'm honest, I feel better actually as a player, I've been able to really focus on certain things that I probably wouldn't have been able to do if we'd just gone straight back into a season. Viber. But she proved medical professionals wrong as she was back at the Blues for pre-season and took to the field last weekend in the Women’s Community Shield. Email. Frank Lampard issued a lengthy injury update at his pre-Southampton press conference, with the head coach confirming that Hakim Ziyech will be in the squad for the first time. Kick-off is 12 noon and you can watch the match live on this website or the 5th Stand app. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. I was so tired, I couldn't move really. Twitter. The Chelsea and England star, 27, has been on fire since her return, hitting twice in all three of the Blues’ top-flight games so far this season. I was fed up. WhatsApp. Chelsea forward Fran Kirby was told she ‘may not play again’ after a recent illness that saw her sidelined for the majority of last season. ‘Physically I wasn't able to do anything,’ Kirby said. “I’m feeling really good, so hopefully I can keep building on that and I've properly pushed myself to the limit this year. Print. I'm in a really good place. The girls around me, they're saying that it's like having a new player, a new signing.". "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Some clubs will be streaming the games live and the FA Player will have all matches available to fans for the day after. Mix. Chelsea Women striker Fran Kirby is confident she is “on the road to recovery” following a tough few months fighting a debilitating illness. English striker Fran Kirby almost retired due to illness | Soccer. “I knew I was going to get over it. Kirby was diagnosed with pericarditis - an inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the heart - in November. Kirby was diagnosed with pericarditis, a condition relating to swelling around the heart. The last time Kirby took to the pitch in the WSL was against Manchester United back in November and she will return against them this afternoon. VK. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. "I've found a new energy for everything. All rights reserved. © 2020 Chelsea FC. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Tumblr. “When I know that we've got so many good players who can come into the game and make an impact, it's exciting for me to be a part of and I want to keep growing and building my confidence.”. LINE. "I've been able to have a proper pre-season, get my fitness up. The 26-year-old was diagnosed with the rare condition called pericarditis – an illness which causes inflammation to the fluid-filled sac around the heart – after the Blues’ 1-0 victory over Manchester United mid-November. Read the full story here. ‘I wasn't allowed to do any walking, anything that would stress my heart or stress me. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Fran Kirby scored in England's third-place play-off defeat by Sweden at the World Cup last year. United v Chelsea will kick off this afternoon at 2.30, is available to watch on BT Sport, and NewsChain will be live blogging the match. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Then I would experience symptoms for a week or two. The Chelsea and England star, 27, … Now I can have those conversations and thank those people.’. 17. View our online Press Pack. Kirby has also opened up about her struggles mentally and said: ‘People have seen me at my most vulnerable. I've found myself again, which has been the most important thing through this whole process. “I had no idea what it [pericarditis] was when I got diagnosed with it, and I [did not find] one story where someone said they had overcome it.”. Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. ‘I came back a couple of times to try and train but just had another setback, and then another setback. Little things like that mean so much even if I was taking two or three days to answer back because I just wasn't on my phone, I was exhausted I didn't even want to look at my phone. “There was a period where I was told by the cardiologist that if I don't slow down, I could become chronic and not play again,” she said. ‘People have been messaging me every day. The Blues have been out of action since our Continental League Cup final triumph against Arsenal on Saturday 29 February due to the Covid-19 pandemic which forced all professional sport in England to be suspended in March. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). In support of Mental Health Awareness Week, Chelsea Foundation is providing exercise packs and education workbooks to schools that remain open for vulnerable children and those of key workers. Chelsea and England star Fran Kirby is nearing a return to the pitch after missing major time due to illness. But each time I was able to train for longer without having symptoms.