Karen Carney is an English international football winger. She is signed to Chelsea Women in the FA WSL and is a member of the England women’s national football team. Since making her senior debut in 2005, Karen Carney has made more than 100 appearances for England, including at 2005, 2009 and 2013 European Championships and the World Cup in 2007, 2011 and 2015. She also competed with the Great Britain team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Carney joined Birmingham City L.F.C. at the age of 11 and played at various age levels for the club before she made her first-team debut for Birmingham City in the FA Women’s Premier League National Division against Fulham L.F.C. at the age of just 14, an incredible feat. Carney joined Arsenal L.F.C. on 13 July 2006, and played an integral part in the team that won four major honours in the 2006/07 season: the FA Women’s Premier League, FA Women’s Cup, FA Women’s Premier League Cup, and the UEFA Women’s Cup. She made 21 appearances in the Premier League in her first season and scored 10 goals. In all competitions, she made 36 appearances and scored 13 goals. The following season saw Carney take on a greater role at Arsenal.
She made 20 Premier League appearances and scored 10 goals. In all competitions, she made 34 appearances and scored 17 goals. Before the 2008–2009 season which would mark Carney’s final season with Arsenal where in all competitions, she made 21 appearances and scored 12 goals. During these infant years of her career, Carney made an instant impact and impression being named twice the FA Young Player of the Year. Carney’s wonderful and illustrious experiences within the domestic structure of Women’s Football in England make for an incredibly well-informed performance as a football speaker in which Karen Carney is able to elegantly portray the development of the Women’s game and what she has learnt about professionalism from such a young age. Carney truly personifies passion and commitment with an unrelenting work ethic that has allowed her to play football at the highest level around the globe.
On 27 January 2009, the Chicago Red Stars of the WPS made Karen Carney their first signing. She was selected by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2008 WPS International Draft, joining Emma Hayes who had been the Arsenal Ladies Football Club Assitant coach. Following two seasons in the American Women’s Professional Soccer(WPS) with Chicago Red Stars, Carney rejoined Birmingham ahead of the 2011 FA WSL. In 2015, Karen Carney became the first female to ever be inducted into the Birmingham City Hall of Fame. During a fantastic career, Carney became the youngest player to be handed an International Cap and went on to be an indispensable member of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2005 scoring critical match-winning goals that brought huge media attention. Carney won the PFA National Young Player of the Year award in 2005 and 2006. Only the 4th woman to ever receive 100 International Caps. Once again an important member of the England team that finished third in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
A truly inspirational figure who commands the utmost respect within football and in particular Women’s Football, Karen Carney was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her services to football, a true testament to her glittering career. Most recently, Karen starred on the first all-female World Cup panel on ITV - alongside Eniola Aluko and Seema Jaswal. Karen Carney has a wealth of knowledge about domestic, International and global football, her eloquent and polished performances as a football speaker make Carney an extremely sought-after football speaker.
