The real problem Earps and Kirby’s sudden retirements give England | OneFootball

It isn’t exactly the ideal way to prepare for a major tournament. One shock retirement, defeat against the world champions, then another retirement. England’s journey is encountering some turbulence.

A fly on the wall in the England dressing room in Barcelona would first see a squad frustrated by their defeat in Spain, but the environment would soon be overshadowed when Fran Kirby announced that she will no longer be playing international football.

Kirby is a stalwart. She has overcome significant adversity in her career. She has bags of experience. But she wasn’t going to be selected for the squad for this summer’s Euros and that led her to call time on her international career.

Alone, Kirby’s retirement marks the end of a wonderful Lionesses career for the 31-year-old. Her decision is not entirely surprising either, given her injury and illness troubles in recent years and her place in the squad now being firmly outside the starting line-up. However, when coupled with Mary Earps’ decision to retire last week given the fact she would not be England’s starting goalkeeper, and defender Millie Bright now withdrawing from selection, having initially taken time off because of mental and physical burnout, there is a sense that the squad is crumbling so close to the Euros.

England’s European Championship defence begins in just 31 days, when they take on France in their opening group-stage game in Zurich. Their squad for the tournament will be announced on Thursday – another moment which has the potential to unsettle the team.

Kirby has been an important member of the squad for more than a decade. She started all six of England’s fixtures as they went on to win Euro 2022. She first featured in an international tournament at the 2015 World Cup. While experienced players such as Lucy Bronze remain in the side, there are few others who can match her level of involvement.

Fran Kirby has been an England stalwart over the past decade (Getty Images)

Kirby (left) helped the Lionesses win Euro 2022 (REUTERS)

Her story has been one of overcoming obstacles. She quit football as a teenager following the death of her mother when she was just 14. She has suffered regular injuries throughout her career and was sidelined after being diagnosed with pericarditis – an inflammation of the fluid-filled sac around the heart – in 2019. She missed the 2023 World Cup with a knee issue. Even when faced with so many difficulties, Kirby has found a way to persevere, joining Brighton in the WSL after a nine-year stint at Chelsea and fighting her way back into frame for the Lionesses.

But, truthfully, Kirby’s position of late was that of the fringes. Her last appearance came from the bench in Friday’s 6-0 win against Portugal. Wiegman’s decision to not call her up for the Euros would have left a marked absence, but it would not have come as too much of a surprise. Kirby was offered the chance to take part as a standby player, but opted against it.

The wider issue at play is not necessarily her retirement itself, or even the departure of two key players so soon before the Euros, but instead the extent to which it could prove unsettling for the team.

This, after all, is an England side who have an incredibly tough group at the Euros. They have not found the form which they displayed on their way to winning the previous edition in recent months. Things have been hit-and-miss. They were already entering the tournament with the public expectation that it would be tricky for them to retain their title, but now they’ve also got to deal with upheaval in the squad at the same time, too.

Kirby would have been an important player to have around for a competition which looks likely to be tiring. The situation is the same, too, for Earps, who would also have been England’s best option for a back-up goalkeeper. Instead, there are fewer players who know what it’s like in such situations who the newcomers will be able to lean on when required.

Fran Kirby made her England debut back in 2014, while playing in the second tier for Reading (The FA via Getty Images)

Before Kirby’s announcement late on Wednesday, which came over an hour after the full-time whistle was blown and shortly before manager Wiegman spoke to the media, it was another moment in Barcelona which had somewhat typified the current story of the Lionesses. The England boss handed a debut to Aston Villa midfielder Missy Bo Kearns, a clear sign of the changing of the guard.

This England team was never going to be able to remain the same forever. There were always going to need to be changes. It is the timing, however, which proves the biggest potential issue.

Only a month remains until their Euros defence begins; players may find themselves being somewhat preoccupied during their preparation with all of the upheaval currently taking place. Wiegman will have wanted the antithesis, she will have hoped for tranquility in the final month.

Tranquility would have made life much easier. England can’t afford to focus on anything but preparing to be in the best condition for the Euros and fine-tuning their style of play. Against Spain, especially in the second half, they were second-best and did not manage to make too much of an impression. They are not at the levels of previous years, there is a lot of work to be done, and – crucially – there is precious little time for it to be completed.

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman now has a lot to ponder ahead of the Euros (Getty Images)

England approach the Euros in need of calm. They will hope to be able to find such an environment after the final 23-player squad has been announced.

A week like this, dominated by what happened off the pitch and where an excellent win over Portugal was soured by defeat in Spain, is of the type that England definitely will not want to have to endure again.

They need to learn to weather storms on the pitch and weather what’s going on in the camp in parallel. Wiegman has quite the job on her hands.