Chelsea’s Kirby wins Football Writers’ award

Chelsea Ladies striker Fran Kirby is the first winner of the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year award.

Kirby, 24, recently picked up the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award, having scored 22 goals this season for her club and been a key player for England.

Football Writers’ Association chairman Patrick Barclay said: “Congratulations to Fran Kirby on being such a worthy winner of this historic vote by an expert panel of FWA members.

“I can’t help thinking of our first Footballer Of The Year vote back in 1947, when the winner was one of England’s most admired players of all time, Sir Stanley Matthews.

“Now, after Stan, comes Fran – she’ll always be first in what will become a long list of Women’s Footballers Of The Year.”

Kirby will be presented with her award, alongside the men’s Footballer of the Year, at the FWA’s annual awards dinner on May 10 at the Landmark Hotel in London.