Karen Walker (footballer)

Karen Walker
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-07-29) 29 July 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Mexborough, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–2004 Doncaster Rovers Belles
2004–2006 Leeds United Ladies
International career
1988–2003 England 86 (41)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Karen Walker (born 29 July 1969)[2] is an English former international football centre-forward. She played for Doncaster Belles for 20 years, starting at the age of 15, and began playing for England as a teenager, making 83 appearances and scoring a record 40 goals until she retired from international football in 2003.[3] Walker's uncompromising style of play earned her the sobriquet "Wacker".[4]

Walker is particularly remembered for her performances in the 1995 World Cup in Sweden.[5] She finished her career with two seasons at Leeds United, and in her last game, against Arsenal in the 2006 FA Cup Final,[6] she left the pitch to a standing ovation.

In 2007, she was part of the BBC team covering the FIFA Women's World Cup in China.[7] Later that year she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.[3]

  1. ^ "READ UP ON TONIGHT'S ENGLAND STARS". Norwich City F.C. 23 July 2002. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  2. ^ "England:Karen Walker". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Hall of Fame Profile- Karen Walker". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Karen's Diary". femaleSOCCER.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  5. ^ Karen Walker – FIFA competition record (archived)
  6. ^ "Yankey delighted by Cup final win". BBC Sport. 1 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  7. ^ "BBC to follow England in Fifa Women's World Cup China 2007 – live coverage on BBC Two". BBC. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2010.