Brighton Women have signed Fran Kirby on a free transfer after her contract with Chelsea expired.
The 31-year-old England international leaves Chelsea as their all-time leading goalscorer having scored 115 goals in 205 appearances since joining from Reading in 2015.
Kirby won 14 trophies during a decorated nine-year spell in west London, including seven Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups.
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Kirby scored on his last appearance for Chelsea against Manchester United
She has also won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award twice and the Women’s Football Writers’ Award and has won 70 caps for England, scoring 19 goals and helping them win the Euro 2022.
Kirby admits she would “love” to compete at next year’s European Championships, but her decision to move to Brighton was not based on that ambition.
Brighton have yet to reveal the length of Kirby’s contract.
She told a press conference: “I would love to play in another Euro, but I will never base my decision on the future.
“For me, it’s what’s right for me right now and where I feel I’m going to get the best out of myself. Being close to home and being at a club that wants to progress the women’s game is something I wanted to do.
“For me, if I feel valued in an environment, I know I’m going to get the best out of myself.
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Kirby explains the joy of scoring a goal on his final appearance for Chelsea and what it means to come away with a win
“When I spoke to Brighton they were very complimentary about me as a player and as a person. For me, feeling valued is one of the most important things as a footballer and I felt that from the moment I spoke to them on the phone and got to know the people around the building.
“That was probably the main reason why I did it, but of course I would like to do everything I can to be part of another Euro and help the Lionesses win it again.”
Kirby also revealed she wanted to stay in the WSL after leaving Chelsea and therefore couldn’t “turn down” Brighton.
Kirby helped Lionesses win Euro 2022
She said: “I wanted to go somewhere where I could maintain my high standards and help bring those standards to another club.
“I wanted to stay in this league because I always want to be competing week in and week out and as long as I can help a team progress, that’s what I want to do.
“When I spoke to Brighton and they said how supportive the ownership was of women’s football, how much they wanted to invest in it and progress it, and seeing the facilities here, for me it was a really exciting opportunity and one I couldn’t really turn down.”
Zoe Johnson, Brighton’s Managing Director of Women’s and Girls’ Football, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Fran to the club.
“She arrives as one of the most decorated English women’s footballers of all time, playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s recent dominance, as well as on the international stage after being part of England’s Euro 2022 victory.
“Her experience on the field will be just as important off it and we are confident that she will help us take an important step towards our long-term goals.”
