Karen Carney says she isn’t very good with surprises.
But it’s not every day you’re whisked to an empty Wembley stadium to be inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame, so she can forgive her friends and family for keeping it a secret.
‘It was a bit overwhelming, I was completely humbled,’ she tells Sportsmail.
Karen Carney admitted she was surprised to be inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame
‘I was surprised and I’m not very good at surprises but it was a fantastic day.’
The retired footballer is England’s third most-capped player, behind Fara Williams and Jill Scott, with 144 appearances for the Lionesses between 2005 and 2019.
Carney, who made her international debut at the age of 17, was presented with her award by her former England and Arsenalteam-mate Rachel Yankey.
‘She was a role model for me growing up. My mum pushed me out of the way and said “I want a photo with my daughter” and she meant Rachel!
‘I’m really lucky and thankful for her taking the time to come and present it to me.’
As well as Bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup, Carney represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympic Games and was part of Arsenal’s record-breaking quadruple winners in the 2006-2007 season.
She amassed a total of 11 trophies during her 19-year playing career which included an FA Cup with her hometown club Birmingham City.
Carney said she was surprised and humbled to receive the news at Wembley stadium
The retired footballer is England’s third most capped player with 144 appearances
Carney has also made a name for herself in the punditry world and is a regular commentator for BT Sport, BBC 5 Live and Amazon Prime.
The former England star, who played in seven international tournaments for her country, is confident Gareth Southgate’s side can go all the way to the final at this summer’s Euros.
She believes the Three Lions boss will have prepared his players for the increased expectations and pressure after making the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup.
‘I feel like you don’t manage expectations in a run up to a tournament.
‘Those expectations start the minute a tournament ends so since 2018, those are the expectations he will have been gradually putting into the players’ mindsets so when you get to the tournament it’s familiar.
‘I think they’ll prepared, they know themselves that they’ve got a fantastic squad.
‘The key player is obviously going to be Harry Kane. In every tournament you need a goalscorer. Set plays are going to be a massive part, you need good deliveries and that’s going to be a massive part of England’s DNA.
‘John Stones will have to step up even more if Harry Maguire is injured, Kyle Walker as well.’
Carney believes England have a strong chance of success at the Euros this summer
Portugal won the Euros in 2016, despite not winning any of their group games, and Carney believes the tournament will be wide open once again.
‘Belgium are ranked No 1 in the world at the moment, France you can never rule out, Germany… It’s going to be very tough.
‘There’s a lot of outsiders that could cause big problems when you look at the squads. Portugal didn’t win any of their group games but ended up with the Euros. It’s about cohesion, having a good group and having that one match winner.
‘You’ve got to start well against Croatia, worst case a draw but I’d like to think England could beat them. Czech Republic will be tough, you’ve got Coufal, Soucek, some very good players in that squad.
‘The Scotland game is about dealing with that emotion. It’s three very different games but England have got to deal with these pressures and expectations if they want to get to where they want to be.’
Carney was part of the first Team GB women’s football to compete at an Olympic Games in 2012 with Hope Powell’s side beating Brazil in front of a 70,000-strong crowd at Wembley.
The ex-Lioness was speaking ahead of the launch of Samsung’s KX’s ‘Rules of Football’, a new series which aims to demystify the most confusing rules of football
Team GB will compete for the second time in Tokyo this summer with Hege Riise confirming her 18-player squad last week.
‘They’ve got a difficult group and a difficult climate as well. Hopefully they get off to a good start against Chile,’ says Carney.
‘They’ve got some really good players in there, some experienced players.
‘I’m really glad Kim Little is in there, Sophie Ingle as well, I think they’re both exceptional players. Caroline Weir is another one.’
Carney was speaking ahead of the launch of Samsung’s KX’s ‘Rules of Football’, a new series which aims to demystify the most confusing rules of football.
The series follows research from Samsung KX which revealed 85% of football fans admit to being baffled by the rules, with with the offside and handball laws leaving Brits most confused.
‘The rules of football can be a complexed matter and it is easier and more enjoyable to watch football if you know why terms like ‘the-second last opponent’ are so important to affecting decisions,’ said Carney.
‘What Samsung KX have done is really helpful. Even if you are a football fan it can still be confusing but if you’re just watching the Euros for the first time it’s even more confusing.
‘I think as fans we all sit in the armchair and think we’re referees, managers and coaches but you’ve got to understand the theories behind it and hopefully this helps.’
Former England footballer, Karen Carney, launches Samsung KX’s ‘Rules of Football’ – a new series that aims to demystify the rules of the game ahead of the Euros. The series follows research from Samsung KX which reveals 85% of football fans admit to being confused by the rules.
The series can be viewed at: https://www.samsung.com/uk/explore/kings-cross/lifestyle/the-rules-of-football/