Karen Carney Bio, 2022 Update, Partner, Net Worth, Abuse, 5 Facts

Karen Carney is a retired footballer who played for the England Women’s football team before she became a media personality. During her active years on the field, the Solihull native garnered many accolades including the most-capped player of the English Squad, a record that has since been toppled.

Her retirement in 2019, has not reduced her fame as The Wizard, a nickname that gives credence to her stellar performance as a major star among the Three Lionesses as well as The Chelsea Women’s Team.

Karen Carney was Born and Bred in The UK

The stellar player was born Karen Julia Carney on August 1, 1987, in Solihull, a small market town under the authority of Birmingham renowned as the home of the Land Rover manufacturer. Her father Michael was a firefighter and together with her mother, Marie, they raised her and her two sisters.

Carney attended St Ambrose  Barlow Catholic Primary School. After this, she moved to St Peter’s RC secondary.

Upon completing her secondary school education, she moved to Loughborough University to study Sports Science. This is not surprising as she loved sports since the age of six when she first kicked a football.

Ever since she kicked a football, the Solihull native would always join boys on the playground. By the time she turned 11, her mother saw her playing football for the first time, her talent was so obvious that she was taken to a local Saturday morning team to improve. By the time she turned 14, Karen was playing full-time. As a result, she left home to pursue her career.

She Had a Successful Football Career That lasted for Over Two Decades

Karen’s football career lasted 21 years between 1998 and 2019 when she retired. She started playing youth football in 1998 till 2001 when she moved to Arsenal.

She started her career on the major scene in 2005 when she partook in the Euro 2005. On the club side, her stint with the Arsenal club lasted three years during which she played 54 games and scored 28 goals before making her way to the US to play for the Chicago Red Stars.

Karen’s time at the Chicago club was cut short after the club folded ahead of the 2011 season. Thus, she returned home to the UK to pick up from where she stopped in Birmingham, and she was also signed to Chelsea club.

Karen Carney’s International Career

Internationally, she played for England’s under-17 team when she was only 14. However, it was until 2015 that she got the chance to play for the senior team.

Before the 2019 FIFA Women’s world cup, she had already appeared in the English colors 140 times making her the most capped player in the English team only after Fara Williams who has already had 170 caps to her name.

In the process, she has scored 32 goals and has also appeared for the Great Britain team five times.
In the build-up to the 2019 world cup, she was one of the projected players due to her stellar performance. During the tournament, she made four appearances in the tournament and recorded one assist. Despite her performance, it did not translate to a victory for the team as it ended in fourth place in a loss to Sweden who scored 2 goals against team 1.

Her Retirement

The then 31-year-old announced her retirement before the England Women’s team played their third-place game in the FIFA 2019 Women’s world cup.

At her retirement, Karen maintained an admirable record with many accolades both at the club level and international level.

She appeared in 144 games for the Three Lionesses with 32 goals to show for her effort. Away from this, she also won the FA Women’s Premier League, and FA Women’s Cup with both Arsenal and Birmingham, FA Women’s Premier League Cup, and the UEFA Women’s Cup.

With England, she won the 2019 SheBelieves Cup and emerged as a semi-finalist in the UEFA European Championship 2017. In 2015, she recorded a third-place finish at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Her Media Career After Retirement

Since her retirement, Karen has continued to follow sporting activities as a columnist. She contributes to the BBC sports column as a reporter. Aside from this, the former England and Chelsea midfielder is also featured on Radio 5 Live.

The Former England Midfielder Almost Ended her Life Due to Social Media Abuse

In December 2020, the retired player faced social media abuse after she commented on Leeds United. The club mimicked her on its official handle leading to many sexist abuses against her.

Following this, she deleted her Twitter account. She entered a dark period that almost destroyed her mental health. She revealed that she received death, and rape threats and almost committed suicide till she received a call from Chelsea’s manager, Emma Hayes who encouraged her.

The club was heavily criticized for playing a role in the incident, which angered many within football’s cycle.

Carney is Not Married

After years of playing in front of thousands and millions of fans, her love life remains an item of speculation as she is generally believed to be unmarried. Also, Carney’s partner is not known.

Though she has been spotted with men, it turns out that they are either colleagues or family members.

Karen Carney’s Salary And Net Worth

Karen’s net worth is estimated at $4 to $11 million dollars, an amount she made from her career of over two decades.

Back in 2014, there was a report that she could be making £20,000 a year from the England team, however, this amount is what a professional male footballer makes in a week.

Considering that female footballers earn about £47,000 a year in the UK, her earnings may have been less than their male counterparts

Notwithstanding, it was reported that she had a lucrative deal with Chelsea when she signed this. As regards her net worth, she has been estimated to have a net worth of anything in the range of $4 million to $11 million. She made her fortune from her career as a footballer as well as through endorsement deals from big brands including Nike.

See Also: Tammy Abraham Net Worth, Salary, Contract, And Earnings In 2022

Fun Facts To Know About The Retired Football Player

1. The Former Midfielder Almost Left football Due to Depression

Karen Carney has suffered depression in her life that led her to self-harm. It took the effort of teammates like Laura Bassett to help her out of her depression.

2. She is a Recipient of the MBE

In 2017, Karen received recognition as a Member of the Order of the British Empire,  the third highest honor given for service. Considering the contribution she made through her football career, this is not surprising.

3. Carney is The 19th Female Inductee Into The National Football Museum Hall of Fame

The retired player turned pundit was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2021. She is the 19th female player to be inducted and the first since Alex Scott in 2019. She was chosen because of her contributions to football development.

4. First Female Player To Be Inducted Into Birmingham City’s Hall of Fame

In March 2015, the former England international made history when she became the first-ever female player to be inducted into Birmingham City’s Hall of Fame. She was instrumental in the club’s 2012 FA Women’s Cup final win and in securing the club’s WSL1 status.

5. Karen Carney Stands on a Height of 5 feet 4 inches

While Carney stands at a height of 5 foot 4 inches, she falls in the same category as the average woman and less than 3 inches less than the average female football player who is said to be 5 foot 7 inches.

Nonetheless, her height did not affect her position as a winger since players in this position need more technical skill and agility rather than physical appearance.