England’s ‘Mini Messi’ Fran Kirby driven to the top by tragic death of her mother at 14

FRAN KIRBY will be one of England's star players when the Lionesses meet the USA in their mammoth World Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.

But the Chelsea forward - dubbed the 'Mini Messi' - almost quit football as a teenager after the tragic death of her mother, Denise.

Kirby, 26, is one of England's best players, a winner of PFA and FWA awards and a Ballon d'Or nominee in 2018.

But speaking last year, long before she became a star of two World Cups, Kirby revealed it all could have been so different when grief consumed her and left her unable to get out of bed.

Writing for the , Kirby, who at the time was with Reading, revealed that her mum suffered a brain haemorrhage and sadly died the next day in hospital.

In the following months, Kirby, her father and brother buried their emotion and "almost never spoke about her".

A couple of years later, the grief finally hit while she was away at an England training camp, where she broke down with one of the coaches, Mo Marley.

After talking to her aunties, Kirby quit.

She wrote: "I went into my shell. I’d have days where I wouldn’t get out of bed. Or I wouldn’t go to college.

"I could get as far as the bus stop, then I’d just break down crying."

'A ZOMBIE'

Jules Townrow, a physio at Reading, became a close friend and Kirby spent countless nights eating pizza and watching TV with her.

Kirby admits she was like "a zombie" during this time, but "taking that time out was the best decision I have ever made.

"Because I needed to work on myself. I had to recover, to heal, to grieve.

"I had to try to find myself again."

Although she was now feeling better, Kirby still wasn't playing football - until she got an offer to play for her mate's Sunday league team.

The side, based in Reading, didn't even train.

"It was amazing," she added, "I could live the life that I wanted to live.

"I could do homework, watch TV, all that.

"Nobody was telling me about what I had to improve. No one was going to hammer me if I made a mistake.

"If we lost 6–0, it was okay, we’d have a laugh about it.

"And that, really, is what brought back my love for football."

Reading came back in for her and this time, Kirby was ready.

Soon she was starring for the Royals' first-team, scoring 32 goals in 21 matches.

A year later Kirby helped Reading finish third in the newly formed Women's Super League 2 and then became the first woman to ever sign a professional contract at the club.

A move to Chelsea in 2015, saw Kirby's star rise even higher - with the Berkshire striker helping the Blues win the Double in both 2015 and 2018.

The 2017-18 season also saw Kirby named the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the Football Writers' Association Women's Player of the Year and in the Team of the Season.

In October, Kirby was named on the 15-player shortlist for the inaugural women's Ballon d'Or.

Kirby admitted that she cried when she won the FWA award and still feels that there is a "piece missing."

However,  she added: "My mum is still present in my life. Every goal I score, I dedicate to her.

"When I am not doing well, I also think about her.

"Sometimes I can still hear her loud voice as she drags me into the car to go to training... Then I realise that what she would have wanted is for me to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be.

"And the best version of myself is also the most honest one. That’s why I am telling you my story, like it really is.

"So I’ll leave you with this … just in case anyone out there needs a little reminder today: It’s OK not to be OK"