Fran Kirby admits stress following Dario Vidosic's exit from Brighton

Former England striker and Brighton forward Fran Kirby has shared her candid thoughts on the sudden departure of head coach Dario Vidosic. The manager left the club on August 28, just nine days before their opening Women's Super League match against Arsenal.

"It wasn't easy when I heard. I was a bit disappointed," Kirby told the Women's Football Weekly podcast. "I had a really good relationship with Dario and think he's a fantastic coach that can go on and achieve amazing things with top clubs."

I was stressed. We had Arsenal coming up and hadn't had a coaching session with the new manager. Fran Kirby

Arturo Ruiz, formerly of Real Sociedad, was appointed as his successor on the same day. The transition proved difficult, with Brighton losing their season opener to the Gunners and failing to secure a win in their first four league games under the new regime.

Kirby acknowledged that adapting to Ruiz's style of play has been a challenge given the timing of the coaching change. The team is now facing a difficult trip to defending champions Manchester City, who have maintained a perfect record with five wins in as many matches this season. It marks the first encounter between the two sides since City's 4-0 win in the FA Cup final last May.

Following a recent 5-1 thrashing of Charlton, Kirby remains hopeful that the squad can put in a strong performance against the league leaders, despite the significant challenge ahead.