England forward Fran Kirby will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after a trophy-laden nine years with the reigning Women's Super League champions. Kirby, 30, is the club's leading goalscorer in the modern era, with 115 goals in 205 appearances. She has helped Chelsea win 15 trophies since joining from Reading in 2015, including six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups. "To leave with the trophies that I have won, with the team-mates I’ve played with - some of the world’s best players - it has been one of the biggest privileges of my life," Kirby said in an emotional video message to supporters. "Part of my job is to play well, win trophies and football games. If I can do that and inspire young girls to be footballers or any form of athlete, that is enough for me. "Growing up I never thought I could impact it so much. So I’m really proud I have been able to impact in a positive way and doing that for a club like Chelsea is something I’m really proud of." Kirby joined Emma Hayes’ Chelsea after playing an integral role for England in their third-place finish at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. She has gone on to score 19 goals in 70 appearances for England as well as earn a host of personal accolades at club level. In the 2017-18 season, she won the Football Writers’ Association first Women’s Footballer of the Year award. That year Kirby also picked up the PFA Footballer of the Year award, as well as Chelsea’s Women’s Player and Players’ Player of the Year after scoring 25 goals in all competitions. She once again scooped the club, WSL and PFA awards in the 2020-21 season, and was part of the England squad that lifted the European Championship at Wembley in 2022. Kirby scored nine goals in 16 appearances as Chelsea marched to a fourth consecutive WSL title and third successive FA Cup triumph last year, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in May and missed the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. 'The support I've had has been unmatched' As well as battling back from a career-threatening knee injury, Kirby has also suffered with illness during her time at Chelsea. In 2020, she admitted contemplating quitting football after being diagnosed with pericarditis - an inflammation of the fluid-filled sac around the heart. She has also spoken openly about body image and the impact of abuse on social media. “It’s interesting - I can sit here and say I’ve had the most amazing times as a Chelsea player, but I’ve also had some of the hardest times of my life. Not just in my football career. “Always for me when I’ve gone through something like that, I’ve wanted to come back in a way that people are proud of. They can see that no matter what happens, I’m always going to get back up and try and fight for my team-mates. “The support I’ve had has been unmatched. When I had my illness, my injuries, that’s when I’ve made some friends for life. I will never forget that no matter how bad I felt during those moments, I always felt loved and supported.”
Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe may already be considered one of the best players in the world with a World Cup and five Ligue 1 trophies under his belt. But the Frenchman has yet to help his home city club win the trophy that has always eluded them - the Champions League. On Tuesday the 25-year-old scored twice as PSG beat five-time champions Barcelona 6-4 on aggregate to reach the semi-final of Europe's top competition, where they will face Borussia Dortmund. The first was a penalty - calmly smacked home after Joao Cancelo brought down Ousmane Dembele - before the ball came to him on the edge of the area in the 89th minute. Mbappe's first effort was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but he smashed the rebound into the net to round off a superb night for PSG. "I have the dream of winning the Champions League for Paris," said Mbappe. "I'm proud to be at PSG since the first day. It's not because there are good times and bad times that my pride takes a hit. The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it's something special for me who grew up there. "To experience an evening like this one as a Parisian, it's great. We have one more step to go before we reach the final in Wembley, so we need to stay calm." The double took Mbappe's goal tally to eight in 10 Champions League games this season. "I just think some people seem like they are blessed from above that this is your time and it feels like that for Mbappe," former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said on TNT Sports. "For his second goal, that's not falling to anyone else, but it falls to him because he is that guy." Mbappe was kept quiet in the first leg in Paris and did not dazzle in Barcelona until scoring on 61 minutes, but PSG boss Luis Enrique praised his striker for his control in the game. "He was a leader from start to finish, and when a team senses that a player as important as him is ready to bring everyone with him, you make the most of it," the Spaniard said. PSG fans have been waiting for Mbappe to deliver them a much-anticipated and expected Champions League trophy. There are even those that believe that, if he fails to do so, his career in Paris will be considered a failure with a move to Real Madrid planned this summer. The expectation on Mbappe is high. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (23 goals in 39 games) has scored more times away from home in the knockout rounds of the Champions League than Mbappe (15 in 12 games). "There is going to be a moment over the two legs [in the semi-final] where Mbappe has got to come to the fore," said Ferdinand. "He is in the high-quality category of player." So could it finally be Mbappe and PSG's time? Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast While PSG are on track to win a third successive Ligue 1 title and have now reached the last four in Europe, it has not all been plain sailing for Mbappe. This is set to be his last season at his hometown club with a move to Spanish giants Real set for this summer. In February Mbappe met with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and told him he was leaving to join Real, where he will sign a five-year deal, earning 15m euros (£12.8m) a season, plus a 150m euro (£128m) signing-on bonus to be paid over five years. Subsequently, Mbappe has dropped in and out of the team, either substituted on or off in five of PSG's past six league matches. Despite that, he has still managed to score 41 goals in 42 games in all competitions. PSG owners Qatar Sports Investments have made no secret of their main goal of winning Europe's elite competition, despite the Paris club winning nine Ligue 1 titles since the 2011 takeover. The closest they have come to Champions League glory was in 2020 when they reached the final but were beaten by Bayern Munich. Since then there have been disappointing last-16 exits and questions over whether this PSG side are truly capable of challenging Europe's elite. But Mbappe is now just two wins away from a fairytale end to his PSG career.