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Karen Walker (footballer)

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Karen Walker
Walker in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-07-29) 29 July 1969 (age 56)
Place of birth Mexborough, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–2004 Doncaster Belles 130+ (321+)
2004–2006 Leeds United 10 (16)
Total 140 (337)
International career
1988–2003 England 86 (41)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Karen Walker (born 29 July 1969)[2] is an English former footballer who played as a 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 FIFA Women's 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 Women's Cup final,[6] she left the pitch to a standing ovation.

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

Club career

[edit]

Walker's neighbour, Karen Skillcorn, was already playing for Doncaster Belles and recruited Walker as a fifteen-year-old. After a period as a substitute, Walker became first choice when the club's regular centre-forward became pregnant.[8] In a long career with the club, she eventually played in 11 FA Women's Cup finals, winning five of them.[3] With the formation of the National Division in 1991, Walker scored 36 goals in 14 games to help Doncaster win the inaugural title.[9] Red Star Southampton were vanquished 4–0 in the 1992 WFA Cup final as the club won a League and Cup double. Walker reportedly set a record by scoring a hat-trick in every round of the Cup, including the final.[10]

Career statistics

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Club

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Season Statistics - Update: 14 May 2026[11][12]
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Doncaster Belles 1984-85 1 3 0 0 0 0 1+ 3+
1985-86 0 0 1 2 0 0 1+ 2+
1986-87 2 7 3 6 0 0 5+ 13+
1987-88 2 10 1 1 2 4 5+ 15+
1988-89 1 4 0 0 0 0 1+ 4+
1989-90 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1990-91 1+ 67 1 3 1 2 3+ 72+
1991-92 14 36 5 20 0 0 19 56
1992-93 11 20 3 4 2 7 16+ 31+
1993-94 12 35 5 10 2 6 19+ 51+
1994-95 9 21 2 4 2 3 13+ 28+
1995-96 12 19 3 4 4 12 19+ 35+
1996-97 10 13 1 4 2 2 13+ 19+
1997-98 9 18 1 4 0 0 10+ 22+
1998-99 6 6 2 7 3 11 11+ 24+
1999-00 11 22 3 3 5 9 19+ 34+
2000-01 6 7 1 1 2 5 9+ 13+
2001-02 7 11 0 0 1 1 8+ 12+
2002-03 8 10 0 0 1 1 9+ 11+
2003-04 8 12 0 0 0 0 8+ 12+
Total 130+ 321+ 32+ 73+ 27+ 63+ 189+ 457+

Leeds

2004-05 10 16 0 0 0 0 10+ 16+
2005-06 0 0 3 4 0 0 3+ 4+
Total 10+ 16+ 3+ 4+ 0 0 13 17+
Total 140+ 337+ 35+ 77+ 27+ 63+ 202+ 477+

International career

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In July 1988, Walker made her England debut as a teenager against an Italy B team in the Mundialito tournament. Scoring with her first kick of the ball inspired Walker to take her subsequent football career much more seriously.[8]

In November 2022, Walker was recognized by The Football Association as one of the England national team's legacy players, and as the 72nd women's player to be capped by England.[13][14]

International goals

[edit]
Since The Football Association took over the team in 1993. Scores and results list England's goal tally first.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "READ UP ON TONIGHT'S ENGLAND STARS". Norwich City F.C. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 6 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ^ "England:Karen Walker". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "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.
  8. ^ a b Davies, Pete (1996). I Lost My Heart to the Belles. London: Mandarin. p. 36. ISBN 0-7493-2085-0.
  9. ^ "1991–1992". The Owl Football Historian. Retrieved 16 October 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ^ Galvin, Robert. "Karen Walker". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  11. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/751471500/?match=1&terms=Walker%20Doncaster%20Belles
  12. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005574/19920925/070/0008
  13. ^ "ENGLAND PLAYER LEGACY AND RESULTS ARCHIVE" (Press release). The Football Association. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  14. ^ Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". Mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
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