Former Reading FC star Fran Kirby has joined Women’s Super League side Brighton & Hove Albion after leaving Chelsea.
The former Royal enjoyed an immensely successful nine-year spell with Chelsea where she won seven WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups.
Kirby, born in Reading, rose through the ranks in the academy and played 46 first-team games for the club and scored an astonishing 71 goals in that time.
That earned her a big move to Chelsea in the summer of 2015 and after almost a decade with the west London club, she departs as Chelsea Women’s record goal scorer.
Kirby has also shone on the international stage and was a pivotal part of the Lionesses side under Sarina Wiegman that won the Women’s Euro’s Championship in 2022.
The 31-year-old has 72 England caps and has netted 19 times for her country.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Fran to the club,” said Brighton’s managing director of women’s and girls’ football Zoe Johnson.
“She arrives as one of the most decorated English footballers of all time, playing an integral role in Chelsea’s recent dominance, as well as on the international stage having been a part of England’s Euro 2022 win.
“Her experience on the pitch will be just as important off it and we have no doubt that she will help us take a significant step towards our long-term targets.”
Kirby said: ““I wanted to stay in the league and when I spoke to Brighton and obviously my old team-mate, Maria, it was some really exciting conversations in terms of the ambitions that the club has going forward.
“I think you can already see that with the signings that have already been announced over the last couple of days where the club sees itself. And for me, it was just exciting to hear that kind of passion come from a football club and to be part of another project really and come in as a bit of an older, more experienced player.”
She continued: “I’m a competitive trainer, I’m a competitive player. I wanted to go somewhere where I could keep my standards up and help bring them into another club.
“I wanted to stay in this league because I still want to be competing week in week out. And as long as I can help a team progress, that’s what I want to do.
“When I spoke to the people at Brighton and they told me how behind Tony Bloom is of the women’s game and how much they want to invest in it and push it forward and then seeing the facilities here, for me it was a really exciting opportunity and one I couldn’t really turn down.”
