Karen Carney is an English sports journalist and former professional footballer who played as a winger and midfielder. Since 2019, Carney has been a regular broadcaster for live football on Sky Sports, ITV and Amazon Prime, including Women’s Super League and men’s Premier League matches. In 2005 and 2006, she began her career at Birmingham City and was twice named FA Young Player of the Year. In 2015, Carney was inducted into Birmingham City’s Hall of Fame, and 2021, she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. At the time of her retirement, she was the second most capped England player with 144 appearances, although this has since been surpassed by Jill Scott. At the 2012 , Karen also represented Great Britain Summer Olympics.
Personal Life
Karen Carney was born on the 1st of August 1987, in Solihull, England.
| Birth Name | Karen Julia Carney |
| Nickname | Wizard |
| Date of Birth | 1st of August 1987 |
| Place of Birth | Solihull, England |
| Age | 36 years old |
| Sun Sign | Leo |
| Profession | Sports Journalist, Former Professional Footballer |
| Nationality | British |
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| Religion | Christianity |
Education
Karen got her education from St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School and then she moved to St Peter’s RC Secondary. From there, she proceeded to study sports science at Loughborough University.
Family Details
- Father – Michael Carney (Firefighter)
- Mother – Marie Carney (Worked at Sainsbury’s)
- Siblings – She has two sisters.
Marital Status
Single
Boyfriend / Spouse
Karen Carney has dated –
Karen has largely opted to keep her personal life away from the public spotlight, which makes it difficult for us to say anything about her love life and dating history.
Physical Statistics
| Height |
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| Weight |
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| Body Measurements |
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| Body Build | Slim |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Shoe Size | 7.5 (US) |
| Dress Size | 5 (US) |
| Sexuality | Straight |
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Karen became known for English sports journalist with a background as a former professional footballer, adept in both winger and midfielder positions. She has been a regular broadcaster for live football on Sky Sports and Amazon Prime, covering a wide range of matches, including Women’s Super League and men’s Premier League games.
Professional Career
From 1998 to 2001, Carney played her youth football with Birmingham City. She was promoted to the senior team where she played until 2006 when she made a move to Arsenal. Three years, 54 games, and 28 goals later, she moved to America where she played for Chicago Red Stars. Ahead of the 2011 season, Chicago Red Stars folded and so Karen returned home where she got signed again by Birmingham.
Internationally, she played for England’s under 17 teams 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.
As it builds to the world cup, Karen is seen as one of the most important players to look out for. A 2017 recipient of the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) which was awarded to her for her football, Karen has achieved a lot in her career with an enviable trophy collection.
Karen Carney Net worth
Karen Carney has an estimated net worth of $4 million dollars as of 2024.
Social Media Profiles
- Instagram – kazcarney
Some Lesser Known Facts About Karen Carney
- Karen is from Birmingham. Karen was brought up by her parents, together with her two sisters. Carney was nicknamed the Wizard.
- Carney joined Birmingham City Ladies at the age of 11 and played at various age levels for the club alongside the likes of Eniola Aluko and Laura Bassett.
- She made her first-team debut for Birmingham City in the FA Women’s Premier League National Division against Fulham Ladies at the age of 14.
- She is vegan, she attributes her improved physical and mental well-being to the plant-based diet she follows.
- In 2005 and 2006, Karen earned FA National Young Player of the Year honors. On 13 July 2006, Carney joined Arsenal Ladies.
- Splayed a major 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.
- In June 2012, Carney was named in the 18-player Great Britain squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She played in all four games as Great Britain were beaten 2–0 by Canada in the last eight.
- In 2020, she joined ITV’s coverage of England’s women’s team, the FA Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2024 finals.
- Karen serves as a sports columnist for media outlets such as BBC Sport, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Television, and The Guardian.
