Explainers

KAREN CARNEY had an incredible career on the pitch that led to much glory.However, it is her work behind the desk that is now impressing as she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
Karen Carney joined ITV for their World Cup coverage this winter.Credit: Getty
Who is Karen Carney?
Karen Carney was born in Solihull, England, on August 1, 1987, to parents Michael and Marie.
Her mother Marie worked at Sainsbury’s and father Michael worked as a firefighter, raising her along with her other two sisters.
The energy she had as a child saw her playing out with friends often which led to her interest in the beautiful game.
Carney recalls playing football from the age of six but it was not until she was aged eleven that her mother saw her play for the first time.
By the age of fourteen, she was a full-time footballer, and two years later she decided to move away to focus on her passion.
She attended St Peter’s RC Secondary School before graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2009.
In 2013, Carney completed her Masters degree in Sports Psychology at University of Gloucestershire.
She was named in the 2017 New Year Honours List, receiving the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
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In 2022, Carney achieved her Masters of Business Administration with a distinction while studying at the James Lind Institute.
In 2022, Karen was inducted into the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame.
Who did she play for?
Karen is one of England’s most capped players of all time and achieved success at three clubs during her glittering career.
Attracting a lot of interest from the age of ten, there was only one club that Carney ever had interest in joining, Birmingham City who she supported.
She made her senior debut at the age of fourteen and won the FA’s Young Player of the Year award in 2005, a year before her eighteenth birthday no less.
It was a great year for the young talent as she made her England debut against Italy, coming off the bench to score in their 4-1 victory.
Four months later, her last-gasp strike, secured victory for The Lionesses in their opening game of the European Championships against Finland.
After nine years at Birmingham, she left her hometown club to join league and cup holders Arsenal.
She enjoyed a lot of success with The Gunners before heading to Chicago Red Stars, following assistant Emma Hayes.
In 2011, she returned to Britain to ply her trade, heading back to her spiritual home of Birmingham City.
At Wembley that season, Carney put in a “woman of the match” performance against Chelsea that saw her score the winning spot-kick to secure Birmingham’s first FA Women’s Cup triumph.
She remained at City until 2015, topping the league’s scoring charts in 2014, before reuniting with Emma Hayes at Chelsea.
An integral part of the champion’s side, she won more honours with The Blues, including a Spring Series, league title and FA Cup.
Across 14 years, Carney earned herself 144 caps for England, scoring 32 times in the process and becoming a Lioness legend.
When did she retire and how long has she worked in punditry?
Karen retired from football in 2019 after finishing fourth with England in the Women’s World Cup.
The Lionesses lost 2-1 in the third-place play-off to Sweden.
She started her broadcast career working with the BBC and BT, covering all football for their platforms.
Carney is now Sky Sports’ lead pundit for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, and part of the matchday team for the Premier League and the EFL.
In 2019, she was the newly appointed Chair of the Future of Women’s Football Review for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
In this role she will be looking into ways the government can nurture and expand the game in the UK.
Karney then jumped across the pond to cover the UEFA Champions League, delivering nationwide commentary for CBS in America.
Most recently, she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
Is Karen Carney married and does she have any children?
Despite much interest in her personal life, Karen has managed to keep the media spotlight off her.
Constantly asked about her love life, despite being cagey on the matter, she confirmed that she is not married.
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As to whether she is currently in a relationship, this seems to also be somewhat of a grey area but from what we gather she is currently single.
Karen does not have any children. More