Fran Kirby still impressed by Leicester’s approach despite Chelsea hammering them 8-0

In the cut-throat world of elite senior football, when your team thrashes the opposition 8-0 it is normally time to crow and feel pleased with yourself and belittle the vanquished. But Fran Kirby is cut from a very different cloth.

Rather than jump up and down and talk about the two goals she scored, the attacking midfielder was keen to praise Leicester City.

The Foxes were beaten 8-0 by the west Londoners at the weekend but demonstrated an attitude and perseverance that Kirby herself has had to show in recent seasons.

Kirby, 29, said: “Our attitude is exactly the same, whatever the opposition. We don’t go into any game thinking we are going to win. The men’s World Cup has shown that with so many shock results.

“Even in our league, top teams are conceding or not scoring as many goals as they would like. So against Leicester we knew we had to go there and be professional – we do that with every opponent.

“We gave Leicester the upmost respect – they are in our league for a reason.”

Chelsea had 23 shots – 13 on target – and possession of 70 per cent. Kirby said: “I don’t particularly like matches where there is so many goals in the women’s game. It gives a false representation and they deserve respect. They have a lot of good young players coming through that hopefully won’t get too disheartened by the result.

“But our team has a lot of quality. It could have been easy for Leicester to keep it one or two nil, then shut up shop, but they didn’t. They want to play the right way. I want to play against teams like that, who want to play out from the back, who, even if they are getting beaten five or six nil, it shows they are trying to build.

“That is more rewarding than beating a team 8-0 and they just kick the ball long. They have a style and want to maintain it.”

Kirby has been on the wrong side of illness in recent seasons that has kept her out of the side for long spells.

“I’m fit and happy to be back 100 per cent,” she said. “I was struck pretty badly with the flu. I was down for about a week and then started to feel a bit better. Then it just hit me again, the same thing. It was a bit frustrating. I had to take another step back.

“Each day I am getting sharper and so I’m happy to get on the pitch again. I have to get more of those 90 minutes in the bank.

There are lots of games in the coming weeks starting with a home match against Reading on Sunday and it will all help with my fitness.

“We are in a really good place, we are very confident.

“We are building each week, improving and that’s what we need to do.”