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]
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Personal information | |||
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Date of birth | (1969-07-29) 29 July 1969 (age 53) | ||
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 | ||
National team | |||
1988–2003 | England | 83 | (40) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
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]
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]
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]
Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
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3 | 25 September 1993 | Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana | ![]() | 10–0 | 1995 UEFA Championship Qual. | 3 |
5 | 6 November 1993 | KVV Coxyde, Koksijde | ![]() | 3–0 | 1995 UEFA Championship Qual. | 2 |
7 | 13 March 1994 | City Ground, Nottingham | ![]() | 6–0 | 1995 UEFA Championship Qual. | 2 |
9 | 17 April 1994 | Griffin Park, Brentford | ![]() | 10–0 | 1995 UEFA Championship Qual. | 2 |
10 | 8 June 1995 | Tingvalla IP, Karlstad | ![]() | 3–2 | 1995 World Cup | 1 |
12 | 19 November 1995 | The Valley, London | ![]() | 5–0 | 1997 UEFA Championship Qual. | 2 |
13 | 23 May 1998 | Sportpark Olympia, Waalwijk | ![]() | 1–2 | 1999 World Cup Qual. | 1 |
15 | 13 September 1998 | Stadionul Poiana, Câmpina | ![]() | 4–1 | 1999 World Cup Qual. | 2 |
16 | 11 October 1998 | Adams Park, Wycombe | ![]() | 2–1 | 1999 World Cup Qual. | 1 |
17 | 26 May 1999 | Lugo, Emilia-Romagna | ![]() | 1–4 | Friendly | 1 |
18 | 22 August 1999 | Odense Stadion, Odense | ![]() | 1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
19 | 17 October 1999 | Sportanlagen Trinermatten, Zofingen | ![]() | 3–0 | 2001 UEFA Championship Qual. | 1 |
20 | 20 February 2000 | Oakwell, Barnsley | ![]() | 2–0 | 2001 UEFA Championship Qual. | 1 |
21 | 30 October 2000 | Kolos Stadium, Boryspil | ![]() | 2–1 | 2001 UEFA Championship Qual. | 1 |
22 | 24 November 2001 | Complexo Desportivo da Gafanha, Gafanha da Nazaré | ![]() | 1–1 | 2003 World Cup Qual. | 1 |
24 | 5 March 2002 | Estádio Municipal, Lagos | ![]() | 3–6 | Algarve Cup | 2 |
25 | 7 March 2002 | Estádio Municipal, Quarteira | ![]() | 4–1 | Algarve Cup | 1 |
25 | 23 March 2002 | Zuiderpark Stadion, The Hague | ![]() | 4–0 | 2003 World Cup Qual. | 1 |
27 | 16 September 2002 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík | ![]() | 2–2 | 2003 World Cup Qual. | 2 |
Awards | |||||
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England squads | |||||||
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