Karen Carney

Birmingham City, 2005–06

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 earned FA National Young Player of the Year honours in 2005 and 2006.

Move to Arsenal, 2006–09

Carney joined Arsenal Ladies on 13 July 2006, and played 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. 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. 2008–09 marked Carney's final season with Arsenal. She made 13 Premier League appearances and scored eight goals. In all competitions, she made 21 appearances and scored 12 goals.

Chicago Red Stars, 2009–10

After a new professional league was announced in the United States, Carney was selected by Chicago Red Stars in the third round (19th overall) of the 2008 WPS International Draft. The Red Stars made Carney their first signing on 27 January 2009. It was…

England

Carney made her senior international debut in England's 4–1 victory over Italy in 2005, coming off the bench to score England's fourth goal. She was the youngest player to earn a senior debut during Hope Powell's tenure as England coach. The same year, she was an integral part of the team at the UEFA Women's Euro 2005 and scored a last-minute, game-winning goal in the 3–2 win over Finland, which earned her significant media attention. In her late teens, Carney won FA Young Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006. In August 2009, she was named to Powell's national team squad for Euro 2009. In the semi-final win over the Netherlands, Powell utilised 20-year-old Jessica Clarke's pace and energy to tire the Dutch full-backs, before introducing substitute Carney to decisive effect. On 23 November 2014, Carney competed in her 100th senior international match in a 3–0 loss to Germany at Wembley Stadium in front of a record 45,619 fans. Carney was the youngest and the eighth player to earn 100 caps for England. The match marked the first time a women's national team game had been played at the new Wembley Stadium since it re-opened in 2007. Carney stated the game was her favourite moment in her career: "Getting my 100th cap for England was a real honour... It's every boy's dream to play at Wembley so for me being a girl and leading the national team out at one of the most iconic stadiums in the world is a moment I will never forget." In May 2015, England manager Mark…

Carney and Liesel Jolly co-created "the Second Half"; a programme supporting women footballers in their careers post-football. In August 2022, Carney was appointed Chair of the Future of Women's Football Review for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, looking into ways the Government can nurture and expand the game in the UK. The review was published in July 2023 and called for massive changes across the women's game in England. In February 2026, it was announced that Carney had become a minority owner of Birmingham City following the takeover of the women's side by Shelby Companies Limited.

Media career

In September 2021, Carney joined Sky Sports as lead Women's Super League pundit. In 2022, Carney joined ITV's coverage of England's women's team, the FA Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2024 finals. Carney has commentated on Champions League matches for CBS Sports. In September 2024, it was announced that Carney had joined the TNT Sports football broadcast team. In August 2025, Carney was announced as a contestant on the twenty-third series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Carlos Gu, and the pair went on to win the competition, with Carney becoming the first footballer to win the show.

Carney is from Birmingham. She was born in Hall Green and attended St. Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School and St. Peter's RC Secondary School, Solihull. Asked about her origins and outlook in June 2019, she said, "I'm from Birmingham: my mum works at Sainsbury's, my dad is a fire-fighter. We keep it real. We know who we are. I don't need a Bentley; I don't need a Rolex”. Carney graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Loughborough University in Sports and Exercise Science with a specialisation in Physiology and Sports Psychology. Her dissertation was on "The impact of caffeine on repeated sprint performance in elite female football". In 2013, she graduated from the University of Gloucestershire with a Master of Science in Sports Psychology with a specialisation in Performance Psychology. Her dissertation was on "video analysis and coach reflection of team talks within football". In October 2022, she graduated from the Longford International College, Ireland with a Master of Business Administration. Carney was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to association football. Carney is a vegan and credits the diet for improving both her physical and mental health. During her playing career, Carney was nicknamed "The Wizard".