Fran Kirby has praised England manager Sarina Wiegman for her honest and special communication while the Chelsea star s availability for Euro 2022 was in doubt.
Kirby missed three months of action towards the end of the season due to an illness that was causing extreme fatigue.
But having returned to action and been named in England s squad for the Euros on home soil, the 28-year-old opened up on her conversations with Wiegman while she had stepped away from the game.
Obviously, it s going to be in the back of my mind. But for me, right now, I want to make sure that I m feeling confident going into the Euros, said Kirby.
Leading into it I had loads of conversations with Sarina on the phone in terms of how I was feeling and how I was doing.
She…
Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool after striking a deal worth up to €41million (£35.2m) to sign the Senegal forward.
Mane hinted at his desire to leave Liverpool after their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month, at the end of a season in which he scored 23 goals.
With Liverpool signing striker Darwin Nunez in a reported £64million (€75m) deal from Benfica last week and Mane having just 12 months left on his contract, the 30-year-old has been allowed to depart after six successful years at Anfield.
He has played a key role in Liverpool winning their first Premier League title in 2020, reaching three Champions League finals and winning one of them and triumphs in the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the 2021-22 sea…
England forward Bethany England has called for stakeholders to invest in the next generation of Lionesses to ensure her side’s historic World Cup run does not amount to a one-off.
Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the Sydney final meant England’s women under Sarina Wiegman came just short of bringing a World Cup trophy home for the first time since Sir Alf Ramsey and his men were crowned world champions in 1966.
Second was still a best-ever result for the Lionesses in a global showpiece, beating the bronze medal from eight years ago in Canada, and Spurs striker England is determined for the moment to live on as part of a lasting legacy.
It s been an amazing year and we re so proud of our journey – making history on and off the pitch.
We ve truly felt …
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe may have faced off against one another in the World Cup final in Qatar, but they line up in the same XI in FIFA 23 s Team of the Year.
While Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the tournament s showpiece match, it was Messi s Argentina who lifted the World Cup for a third time with a penalty shoot-out victory following a 3-3 draw after extra-time.
The Paris Saint-Germain team-mates have both made FIFA 23 s Team of the Year, though, with the selections made from over 10 million votes from fans.
Despite Argentina s World Cup win, Messi is the only player from Lionel Scaloni s team to be included, with Ballon d Or winner Karim Benzema completing the front three after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches in the 2021-22 season to help Real Madrid to …
Chelsea have condemned racial abuse directed towards forward Lauren James following Sunday’s Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal.
England international James was at the centre of controversy during the game after appearing to stamp on Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti.
James was shown a yellow card after the incident in the 70th minute at the Emirates Stadium and was substituted by manager Emma Hayes soon after.
Chelsea Football Club condemns the online abuse directed towards Lauren James following Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Arsenal.
The club stands strongly against any form of abuse and discriminatory behaviour. Discrimination has no place at Chelsea…
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW)
Chelsea, the W…
Manchester United want to sell Donny Van de Beek in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has named the Netherlands international midfielder among the players the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners are willing to cash in on at the end of the season.
Van de Beek has been on the books of United since 2020 and was on loan at Everton for a short period of time in 2022. The 25-year-old has struggled to make a huge impact at Old Trafford and is nowhere near the first team.
Manchester United are third in the Premier League table at the moment with 49 points from 25 matches. Erik ten Hag’s side are as many as nine points behind second-placed and defending champions Manchester City, who have played 26 games.
…
Graham Potter pledged to develop a team Chelsea s fans can be proud of after succeeding Thomas Tuchel as the Blues head coach on Thursday.
Chairman Todd Boehly made the decision to part company with Tuchel amid an underwhelming start to the new campaign on Wednesday, and has turned to Potter in his search for a replacement.
After leading Brighton and Hove Albion to 13 points from their first six games of the Premier League campaign, Potter has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge
Speaking to the club s website upon his appointment, Potter expressed his excitement at the making the step up while also thanking his former employers.
I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club, he said.
I am v…
An emphatic 4-0 win for Hearts on Sunday saw Celtic s unbeaten domestic run finally come to an end after 55 Scottish Premiership games without tasting defeat.
Outside of European competition, the Bhoys, who are chasing their seventh successive title this season, had not lost since going down 2-1 away to St Johnstone in May 2016.
Brendan Rodgers side remain two points clear at the top of the table and can be confident of retaining their crown ahead of challengers Aberdeen and Rangers.
And while their streak is finally over, they can now rub shoulders with a select group of teams from across Europe to have orchestrated similar feats.
Here s a look at some of the other clubs to have held such mastery over their respective national league competitions .
…
Tired of your mates recycling the same old football trivia questions from years gone by?
Bring them bang up-to-date and get them guessing with our Opta-powered Premier League quiz.
All the answers are at the bottom of the page, so you can claim the high ground when it comes to statistical knowledge!
1. Chelsea will go into their meeting with Manchester United as favourites. How many of their past 16 Premier League home games against the Red Devils have they lost?
: One of s finest days as Blue, scoring this and a late penalty to seal a 2-1 win over Man Utd in 2008!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)
2. Raheem Sterling starred for England during the international break. In his last 12 league games at the Etihad Stadium, where Manc…
Market: Norwich win
Odds: 4/6 @
Desperate to make up some ground in the top-six chase on Saturday afternoon, Norwich will welcome Huddersfield to Carrow Road this weekend.
Starting with the hosts, while Norwich might have continued to show some extended inconsistencies since opening up the 2023/24 campaign, David Wagner’s men do appear to have turned a recent corner. Snatching a 2-2 stalemate away at bitter local rivals and title contenders Ipswich last weekend, the ex-Huddersfield boss will be looking to get one over on his former employers here. Opening December with a 2-1 victory away at Bristol City, the Canneries should be smelling the chance to make another crucial statement on Saturday afternoon. Still with their sights set on punching a play-off ticket…