*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:00, 29 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:45, 3 December 2024 (UTC)
Walsh became a first team regular at City as a teenager during their 2014 campaign, playing a key role in helping the team secure their first League Cup.[11] She stayed with the side for nine seasons (in eight years), briefly captaining them several times, and in March 2022 became the second player to reach 200 appearances for them; when she left to join Barcelona later that year, she jointly held City's record for number of appearances and set a world-record fee for a female footballer.
She represented England for their age-group teams from the age of twelve, helping the under-17 team to fourth in the 2014 U17 Euro and being named in its Team of the Tournament. She made her senior debut in 2017, for 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying, and started as captain in a match a year later. With England she has played in three major tournaments: the 2019 World Cup in which they placed fourth, the 2022 Euro that they won, and the 2023 World Cup that they finished as runner-up. With Great Britain, she competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She was named in the Team of the Tournament for the 2022 Euro, and is considered one of the best midfielders in the world.[n 2]
Early years
Keira Fae Walsh was born on 8 April 1997[2] in Rochdale to Peter and Tracy Walsh, and was raised by the Pennines in Syke, a rural suburb of the town.[19][20] Here she practised football with her father on the field across from their house from about the age of five.[19][21] She played for local boys' teams Pearson Juniors under-7s, and then Samba Stars[22] – both coached by the father of her primary school best friend, who initially took her along[20] – until she turned eleven.[23]
A dedicated Manchester City fan, Walsh was inspired as a child by Spanish football,[7] in part due to having family in Spain and often playing in the country when visiting them,[27] and because her father encouraged her to watch Barcelona play.[28][27][29] She also briefly supported Arsenal, due to being a fan of Cesc Fàbregas, until she saw David Silva, her favourite player, with City.[7][30]
In 2008, aged eleven, Walsh was named Greater Manchester Young Sports Person of the Year.[31] The award was principally for her achievements in badminton: she was ranked number 1 in the county in under-13 badminton between 2007 and 2009,[22][32] having taken up the sport aged nine[33] and representing Rochdale in it.[31] She described it as her "second sport" and as of 2022 still played badminton in football's off-season "as a way of keeping fit".[34] She took part in a variety of youth level sports: in 2008 she played cricket for Lancashire, represented Rochdale in swimming and netball, and played football with the Blackburn Rovers Girls' Centre of Excellence.[31] Eleven Blackburn Rovers players were included in the 2013 Lancashire Schoolgirls football team, including Walsh.[35][36] She played for them in 2012 and 2013 for the Northern Counties Championship and English Schools' Football Association (ESFA) County Cup. In both years they won the Northern Championship and were runner-up in the ESFA Cup.[37][38][39]
Club career
Blackburn Rovers
Youth, 2008–14
She got the ball, walked round everyone, scored a goal and came back. One of her team-mates would win the ball and give it to her straight away. It was almost like she was a magnet.
– Kay Cossington, FA Women's Technical Director, about watching a young Walsh play for the first time[40]
Seeking a way to continue playing football when she could no longer play with boys,[20] Walsh attended a Football Association (FA) Skills Centre based at Kingsway Park High School at the age of eleven,[23] where she was coached by Fara Williams.[41] She then went to trials at the Blackburn Rovers Girls' Centre of Excellence, put forward by her childhood coach[20] and encouraged by good performances at the Skills Centre, and joined them in 2008.[23] She played for Blackburn Rovers in their age-group teams from under-12 through under-17.[22][42] She began playing as a right-footedleft-back, and then a centre-half,[20] before moving to the central midfield at Blackburn[7][43] when a new coach came in for the under-14 team and suggested she try the position.[20]
With the Blackburn youth teams, while playing in defense and midfield, Walsh was a regular goalscorer,[23] making four goals in six games in her first year at the club.[44] She played for the under-17 team in the 2013 FA Girls' Youth Cup final against Arsenal, narrowly missing an opening goal, with Blackburn eventually losing the match.[45] In the 2013–14 season, Walsh played in (and started) eleven matches for the Blackburn Rovers under-17 team, scoring ten goals to finish as their top scorer;[46] in their 2014 FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Sunderland she scored a hat-trick in thirteen minutes.[42][47]
Blackburn Rovers later saw recognition for developing midfielders in women's football, having successively produced Walsh, Stanway and Ella Toone: important players for England in 2022 and 2023.[48][49]
Senior, 2013–14
In February 2014, when she was sixteen, Walsh signed for Blackburn Rovers' first team[50][51] until the end of the season,[52] debuting as a half time substitute four days later.[53] The club had suffered a poor start to the league that season, and they said that the addition of Walsh was key to maintaining their place in it.[54] Still involved with the under-17 side,[52] Walsh played in nine FA Women's Northern Premier League matches for the first team, scoring three goals, including the team's goal of the season – a "stunning" second goal against Derby County in March[50][55] that brought Blackburn up from relegation.[56] She also played for the team in the final of the Lancashire Women's Challenge Cup, said to be the best player in the match that the team lost,[57] and in the fourth round of the FA Women's Cup.[52] She left both youth and senior Blackburn Rovers sides in 2014, picking up a Contribution Award for six seasons with them.[50]
Manchester City
2014
Walsh moved up to the Women's Super League (WSL) shortly after she turned seventeen.[58][52] She had been offered a place on Everton's development squad without trialling and was planning to join. Manchester City, the club Walsh supports, was preparing to enter the WSL and holding trials for their development squad. She was uncertain about the opportunity, but her mother encouraged her to attend the trials; before the session was complete, first team coach Nick Cushing, who had gone as an observer, wanted to sign Walsh to the main squad as their holding midfielder.[58][21] Cushing would later say that Walsh has "the best football brain" of any player he has coached,[7] adding that "some players are almost touched by God";[58] in response, Walsh deflected praise, saying that Cushing's coaching style benefits technical and tactical players.[43]
Within ten days of the City trials,[59][58] in July 2014, Walsh made her senior debut for Manchester City as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Notts County.[60] Too young for a professional contract,[21] she officially trained with the development squad, for which she never made an appearance;[60][61] by the end of the 2014 season she had gained a starting position in the first team and was considered important by City in their side that won the 2014 League Cup,[60] starting in the final against Arsenal. Having not expected to play, she had initially told her parents not to travel for the game;[21] she later said that Cushing having put his faith in her before the game led her to a successful career as it helped her believe in herself.[62] She performed particularly well in the match, marking England legend Kelly Smith out of the game and "leaving the footballing world intrigued" by the unknown talent.[21][59][58]
2015
In June 2015, Walsh signed her first professional contract with the club,[60] until the end of 2017,[63] though she did not play for much of the 2015 season due to injury.[64] Manchester City added her to their 2015 League Cup squad in August. The team was briefly suspended for fielding Walsh, who the FA claimed was an unregistered player, before the matter was resolved; the FA admitted they "might have" lost the registration documents.[65] The team's quarter-final against Arsenal, which City lost, had been postponed due to the investigation.[66] A crucial part of his City plans since the start,[61] Cushing started building the team around Walsh and made her one of its vice-captains.[58]
2016
Walsh was injured again at the start of the 2016 league campaign but worked her way back onto the squad and,[67][61] in September, was described as their "unsung hero" by 90min.[68] Having gone undefeated,[69] City won the league in September with a game to spare, Walsh described by Women's Soccer United as "unassuming" and "pivotal" in their success.[70] In October, they won the 2016 League Cup for the domestic double.[64] Walsh was named player of the match in City's first-ever Champions League match, a 2–0 victory against Zvezda Perm;[71] a month later, on 9 November 2016, she scored her first goal for City,[72] a long-range strike from outside the area, in a 1–0 victory against Brøndby IF in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.[73][74] Two days later, she extended her contract through 2020.[67] For the 2015 and 2016 season, Walsh was nominated for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Women's Young Player of the Year award;[75][76] she would see further nominations for this award every year up to and including the 2018–19 season.[77][78][79]
2017
With Manchester City, Walsh won all three women's domestic titles over what would be a regular 2016–17 season (2016 FA WSL, 2016 WSL Cup, 2016–17 FA Women's Cup);[80][81][82] the WSL ran calendar year seasons until 2017, curtailing the season in spring to start a new one in autumn that matched European schedules.[83] For the 2017 FA Women's Cup final, in which City defeated Birmingham 4–1, Walsh was named player of the match, saying only that "it was a real team effort" and that it was special to win a trophy at Wembley;[80][84] Cushing and captain Steph Houghton heaped praise on Walsh's performance and maturity.[82][85] City was the first team to hold all three England women's domestic trophies at the same time,[86] but were denied another title by Chelsea, who won the interim league (known as the Spring Series) and left City second in a tight race decided on the final day.[87]
Early in the 2018–19 season, Walsh captained City for the away leg of their Champions League Round of 32 tie against Atlético Madrid, drawing 1–1 when away goals were an advantage.[93] City lost the return fixture 0–2 to be knocked out in the Round of 32 for the first time,[94] the start of a five-season pattern of exiting the Champions League by Spanish opposition[95] that helped prompt Walsh to leave the club (for Spain) in 2022.[96][97] By October 2018, though Manchester City had not had bad results in the league, they were considered in a slump; pundit Rachel Brown-Finnis credited this to the team having become predictable to improving opposition teams in their reliance on playing out from the back through Walsh, despite the efficacy of this tactic.[98]
At the end of stoppage time during City's 3–0 victory over Liverpool in November 2018 – in which Walsh provided the assist for the only open play goal and got in several shots on target (all saved) herself – Liverpool's Rinsola Babajide made a harsh tackle that took down Walsh, who stayed down in pain before being stretchered off and the game ended. After initial fears of a broken leg, assessment confirmed she only suffered a minor knee injury.[99] On 2 December 2018, Walsh became the sixth City player to make 100 appearances for the team;[100] in the match she provided a "glorious 60-yard pass"[101] to set up City's second goal in a 2–0 victory that extended their season's unbeaten run and ended Arsenal's winning run.[102]
With doubts about her career following criticism at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Walsh did not want to play football in England, thinking she was not what the domestic fans wanted to see in a holding midfielder.[110] Prior to the 2019–20 season, she handed in a transfer request amid interest from European champions Lyon and Spanish champions Atlético Madrid.[111] On 29 July, she withdrew her transfer request;[112] Cushing had convinced her to stay by encouraging her[110] and joking that he would dress like Pep Guardiola,[113] one of Walsh's idols,[29] to be more like him.[113] Cushing said that Walsh was integral to City's system and it was imperative the club retain her, while adapting to other transfers.[113] He re-emphasised Walsh's importance to the side after she scored a goal from distance then created the opportunity for a second in an October 2019 match that saw them defeat Birmingham 3–0.[114]
During a Manchester derby in the League Cup on 20 October 2019, Walsh was given a straight red card for a tackle on Manchester United's Kirsty Hanson. City lost 0–2,[115] with Walsh later reflecting that her conduct came from being a fan of her team and frustrated that their rivals were winning, and that she had since come to practice more control over her support than she displayed in the match.[21] Around this time, Walsh's abilities were said to be maturing. While still "an energetic presence in midfield that at times needs to be dialled down" – and sometimes requiring the presence of experienced midfielder Jill Scott in support – she had tightened her defensive capabilities and discipline to complement her excellent positioning and playmaking skill, in which she was also becoming more assured.[116]
After scoring from distance against Birmingham again in January 2020, for a 2–0 win,[117] Walsh signed a new three-year contract on 7 February 2020.[118] 90min wrote that this was somewhat surprising to onlookers – considering Walsh's long tenure, prior transfer request, and Cushing recently leaving the club – but that City and its fans would welcome her decision.[119] Come the end of the season, her leadership and talent in midfield saw her described as "unmatched".[120]
2020–21
Said by the Manchester Evening News to be growing in confidence in her role, the newspaper considered Walsh the key player for City ahead of their attempt to win the league for the first time since their successful 2016 campaign, after being retroactively demoted to second place due to points per game calculations in the previous season.[121] Walsh started her 2020–21 pre-season with City by scoring a goal in a 6–0 win[122] before they contested, and lost, the Women's FA Community Shield in its first edition since 2008.[123]
In November 2020, Walsh scored the third goal for City in an 8–1 win over Bristol and,[124] in March 2021, she scored the sole goal on Houghton's 200th cap, taking City to a ninth consecutive WSL victory.[125] Coach Gareth Taylor (who replaced Cushing as manager in 2020) joked after the match that Walsh "was getting a bit sick of everyone else missing chances", adding that she did not need to score goals as the club recognised the importance of her role. Website GOAL opined that, since her role is often unsung, "such a vital goal served to remind everyone of Walsh's quality."[4] Later in March, Houghton picked up an injury that kept her out for over a month, and Walsh took up the armband as City captain.[126][127] At the end of March, Walsh was named player of the match in the team's home-leg Champions League quarter-final fixture against Barcelona, a 2–1 victory that was Barcelona's only loss on the route to their first Champions League title; her game was described by her club as "the complete midfield performance",[128] and by The Guardian as "at times suggesting [Barcelona] are mortal after all."[129]
By May 2021, Walsh had scored only seven goals for Manchester City, six of which were from outside the box; the club wrote that she "tends to save her super strikes for the big occasions", praising her impact in other areas as well as the nature of her goals.[130] At the end of 2020, Walsh was ranked 62 on the Offside Rule/The Guardian's list of The 100 Best Female Footballers in the World.[131][132] For the 2020–21 season, she was nominated for the England Women's Player of the Year award.[133]
2021–22
Walsh was one of several injured players out at the start of the 2021–22 season, which Manchester City began poorly.[134] She first returned to playing in October 2021 and,[135] in November, scored a powerful strike against Leicester from the edge of the box to put City ahead,[136] which was shortlisted for the WSL goal of the month.[137] Absent again until January 2022, she returned with other players to help City to a win against Brighton in their first match of the new year.[138] The season then turned in their favour, including winning the 2022 League Cup in March.[139] Later that month, Walsh made her 200th appearance for the club, becoming the second player, following Houghton, to reach a double century.[140] She only found out she had achieved the milestone after the match, when teammate Janine Beckie told her and gathered the team to celebrate.[141]
From March through May, City maintained an all-win streak;[139] Walsh was particularly influential in their FA Cup semi-final victory,[142] before City's run eventually ended when they lost 2–3 in extra time in the 2022 FA Cup final.[143] In May, Walsh was nominated for City's Player of the Season,[18] with the club feeling she had "taken her game to a new level" during it.[144] Manchester City under Taylor played Walsh differently from the start, with Walsh staying close to and mainly passing to the defense;[132][9] while continuing to have among the highest passing statistics in the WSL,[8] her passing metrics, as well as "almost all of her metrics around attacking play", "dropped significantly" in the 2021–22 season.[9] Podcast The Offside Rule said in early July 2022 that this change had left Walsh, a playmaker now limited in opportunities to progress play and superfluous defensively, "with rather little to do."[9]
With one year left on her City contract, Walsh again attracted interest from "several top European clubs",[149] including Chelsea and Barcelona, following the 2021–22 season.[150] Over the summer of 2022, several key members of City's women's squad left either through free transfer or retirement.[151][152] Walsh played two Champions League qualification matches for City in August 2022, as part of the 2022–23 pre-season,[153][154][a] before leaving the club to join Barcelona in September after eight years; eight major trophies; and 211 appearances,[12] the joint-record number of appearances for Manchester City (with Houghton) at the time.[155] In a post on Instagram, Walsh wrote: "Even though I will no longer play in the shirt, City is in my blood and always will be."[156] She later said that she had not planned to leave City in the summer of 2022,[157] that it "wasn't an easy decision", but that it was the right time to leave her comfort zone.[158][157]
Barcelona
Transfer and 2022–23
Walsh had been connected with a move to Spain as early as May 2022,[159] but was surprised to be contacted by Barcelona in August.[29] Though women's football rarely drew transfer fees,[160] both Chelsea and Barcelona made Manchester City large offers for her.[149][150] Having been inspired by Barcelona as a child, and told by her father that she should endeavour to play for them,[29] Walsh wanted to join this team; Barcelona felt the need to bring in reinforcements after injury to star midfielder Alexia Putellas[161][162] and other departures,[163] and made several offers.[164] Sports director Markel Zubizarreta and head coach Jonatan Giráldez said at different times that they did not plan for Walsh to be a direct replacement of Putellas, but another option within the team, as she offers a different playing style to others.[165][166] After a lengthy high-profile pursuit,[167][168] the last of Barcelona's offers, around £400,000 (€470,000), a world-record fee, was accepted shortly before the transfer deadline on 7 September 2022.[169][12] This was considerably higher than the previous women's transfer record, set when Pernille Harder transferred for £250,000 in 2020,[170] and Barcelona's previous record signing of a female player, set when they purchased Mapi León for €50,000 in 2017.[171] Walsh said that while "the price tag [is] a nice feeling", she prefers not to be the centre of attention;[157] she said she felt honoured to join Barcelona, pointing to the team's level and that "it is such a historic club, and [...] more than that, it is a culture."[172] She signed to Barcelona for three years,[173] joining England teammate Lucy Bronze, who also moved from City to Barcelona in 2022.[169][12]
At the end of 2022, Walsh featured near the top of several women's football rankings,[n 3] including coming third on the IFFHS ranking of the Women's World Best Playmaker[179] and entering the Top 10 of the list of The 100 Best Female Footballers for the first time.[180][181] In early 2023, she was named to the 2022 FIFPRO World 11[182] and won the inaugural Women's Football Awards International Player of the Year award,[183] as well as being nominated for The Best FIFA Women's Player.[184] At the end of the season she placed seventh in the ranking of the 2022–23 UEFA Women's Player of the Year[185] and was included on the 25-person list of GOAL's "World-Class Club".[186]
Although she faced pressure while adapting to the specialised number 6 role at Barcelona, Walsh "felt much better after the Christmas break";[187][188] fellow holding midfielder Patri Guijarro felt they played fluidly together from Christmas onwards and that Walsh had adapted "in record time".[189] Increasingly comfortable within the squad, she reached her peak form again.[188] A key part of the team from the start of the 2022–23 season, Walsh won her first title with them in January 2023 with the 2022–23 Supercopa de España:[190] she helped Barcelona to victory playing in both the semi-final and,[191] despite having gone off during extra-time in the semi-final with an injury,[192] the final three days later on 22 January.[193] In subsequent games, she was rested with the injury;[194] shortly after her return she scored her first goal for Barcelona, on 5 February against Real Betis, with a shot from outside the box.[195][196]
Walsh was differential for Barcelona in the away leg victory of their Champions League semi-final tie against Chelsea, playing what Sport said was her best game for the club yet, in which "she showed that version of pivot that characterises the azulgrana style."[187][197] Walsh reached the final of the Champions League for the first time after Barcelona defeated Chelsea 2–1 on aggregate.[198][199] Three days later, on 30 April, the team won the league at home with four matches to play and an all-wins record.[200] Walsh started in the 2023 Champions League final, and, per Suzanne Wrack, was crucial in Barcelona mounting a 3–2 comeback to win the 2022–23 Champions League.[189][201]
Walsh missed the start of Barcelona's 2023–24 season with injury, returning in October 2023.[202][203] Used as a substitute attacking midfielder in her first match back, she provided an assist within minutes of entering the pitch.[204][205] She then had a successful season in her role as pivot, cementing her strength within the team[206] and excelling personally.[207][208] In January 2024, The Guardian wrote that Walsh, Guijarro and Aitana Bonmatí "created one of the most formidable midfields the women's game has seen";[209] the three were each given perfect 10 ratings for the season by Sport, which described Walsh as "the orchestra director of this tetra-champion team."[206] Barcelona won a continental quadruple of the 2023–24 Supercopa, the league, the 2023–24 Copa de la Reina, and the 2023–24 UEFA Women's Champions League. Walsh again started in the Champions League final, making vital recoveries as they defeated Lyon 2–0,[210] her performance called a recital by Maria Tikas.[206]
The Guardian felt that the most significant part of Walsh's game continued to be "her sublime passing quality", even with more goal contributions.[209] She had scored in consecutive games in Barcelona's last two matches of 2023, with the only open play goal in a 2–0 Liga F win and the opener in a 7–0 Champions League group stage victory, her first Champions League goal for the club, both from inside the area. El Periódico said of the first that Walsh must have "chased away some of the demons that accompanied her every time she approached the area."[211][212]
She again picked up a variety of accolades at the end of 2023, including a nomination for The Best FIFA Women's Player[213] and being voted the She's A Baller of the Year.[214] Walsh placed fourth both in the IFFHS Women's World Best Playmaker ranking[215] and on The 100 Best Female Footballers list,[209] while also featuring in the 2023 FIFPRO World 11,[216] on ESPN's list of the 50 best women's footballers,[217] and being one of nine Barcelona players on the GOAL50 list.[218] At the end of the season, she was again included in the GOAL "World-Class Club",[219] while also continuing to not receive a nomination for the Ballon d'Or Féminin.[220][221][222]
2024–25
Walsh (centre) in September 2024
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, there was renewed interest from Chelsea and, especially, Arsenal in signing Walsh; the transfer pursuit continued throughout the pre-season, with Arsenal ultimately making an offer of €1.1million plus add-ons (£930,000) – which would have been a significant increase on the world record fee – on 12 September 2024, a day before the transfer deadline. Barcelona considered Walsh vital to their squad for the upcoming season,[223][224][225] and she participated in pre-season, including scoring a golazo from outside the area in their friendly against Hoffenheim on 10 August 2024[226][227] – Barcelona declined the offer.[225] Their second 2024–25 league game was played on WSL deadline day, and Walsh "silenced the rumours" of a last-minute transfer when she started the match and provided the assist for Caroline Graham Hansen's opening goal.[228]
At the end of September, Walsh had an impressive headed goal dubiously disallowed,[229] before scoring her first professional career brace at the start of October with two edge-of-the-box goals and an assist as she led Barcelona's 8–1 second half victory over Madrid CFF.[230][231] Walsh reflected: "I don't normally score two in a season, so two in one game is amazing ... I wasn't sure how to celebrate after the second one, actually."[232] She enthusiastically celebrated her next goal, scored from a similar distance against SKN St. Pölten in a match during which Walsh was particularly strong for Barcelona,[233][234] which was nominated for the Champions League Goal of the Week.[235]
International career
England
2009–17: Youth level
When Walsh played for the Blackburn Rovers under-14 team, her club insistently persuaded Kay Cossington – at the time the only scout for the England women's youth teams – to travel up to Preston to watch her play.[40] In November 2009, Walsh, aged twelve, received her first call-up to train for the England under-15 girls, making her the youngest person in the squad.[22][25] She played for them in 2010[236][237] and 2011.[238] Though she featured in the England squads for all youth age groups, she did not get a chance to thrive in them, only participating in one major competition;[43] she suffered two serious ankle injuries as a youth international, eventually having surgery in 2016.[239] She later reflected that the lack of youth experience may have contributed to her being unprepared for the criticism players receive at international tournaments when she joined the senior squad.[43]
Walsh was then selected to the under-19 England squad, for which she was sometimes a striker,[63] while still playing at under-17 club level.[42] Called to training with the England under-19 second team in January 2014,[247] she made a competitive appearance for the first team a week later.[248] In the youth squads, Walsh was considered the class clown in contrast to Leah Williamson's more serious demeanour,[249] and Walsh was not always brought in for training camps at the start of her under-19 career. Walsh said that, when she was sixteen, coach Mo Marley told her that she needed to work harder; missing out on selections at this age and Marley's warning, which she felt was tough love and indicative of Marley believing in her, "was a massive career defining moment". Realising she did not want to lose out on football, Walsh began to further apply herself.[21]
She served as under-19 captain for some of their appearances at the March 2015 La Manga Tournament in Spain,[250] and wore the armband again after returning from injury for 2016 U19 Euro preparation matches in September and November 2015.[251][252] She then picked up her second ankle injury while on international duty with the under-19 side in La Manga in March 2016.[239][253] Walsh was named in the squad for an under-20 tournament in September 2016, but had to withdraw.[254] With the under-23 squad, Walsh played in La Manga[255] and won the Nordic Tournament in 2017.[256][257]
In November 2017, Walsh was called up to the senior England squad for the first time, along with Williamson, by interim coach Marley for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign.[256][258] Before Williamson played in central defence, the two were in contention for the same role, with Walsh preferred;[259] in her early years with the England squad, Walsh was considered the "heir apparent" to Fara Williams as the midfield anchor.[41] Walsh received her first cap on 28 November 2017 in England's match against Kazakhstan,[260] providing an assist in the fifteenth minute,[261] to become the 200th England women's international.[262] Walsh, aged 21 and the youngest player in the squad,[263] captained England for the first time during these qualifiers, starting with the armband in England's final match against Kazakhstan in September 2018, in her seventh senior appearance; England won 6–0.[264][265] During the campaign she was one of two senior Lionesses (along with eventual winner Beth Mead) to be nominated for the 2018 England Women's International Young Player of the Year award.[266][267]
Walsh has represented England in three SheBelieves Cup tournaments. The team came second on Walsh's debut appearance in 2018, losing to the United States by an own goal off the keeper.[268] After the match, Walsh and manager Phil Neville had an honest discussion, setting targets for her development over the year and to instill self-confidence.[269]In 2019, England won the competition; Walsh, one of the three players who featured in every match, provided the long-range assist for the final goal[270][271] and was voted She Kicks player of the match.[272]Jonathan Liew referred to the assist as "That Keira Walsh pass. You've seen the Keira Walsh pass, right?";[273] it was called the pass of the tournament by BBC Sport.[274] After Walsh's contributions to the team's tournament victory, Neville said that she was probably the best midfielder at the time, praising her development within the squad after he had been tough on her to provoke this.[275][276][277] He then encouraged veteran player Karen Carney to help mentor Walsh through the 2019 Women's World Cup, her first major tournament.[278]
2019–22: World Cup 2019, struggles and cementing role
In May 2019, Walsh was selected as part of England's 2019 World Cup squad.[279] In the opening games of the World Cup, Walsh did not play to her usual standards, but she continued to be picked to start, with Neville having faith in her game and her development; England fans were heavily critical of her continued selection after the early weaker showing, but she performed well in the semi-final against the United States, which England lost:[43] she provided two long passes that produced Ellen White goals (one was disallowed) and sent a narrowly-saved powerful strike at goal from 25yards herself.[280] Walsh felt that the criticism of her performances was deserved, saying she lacked focus, but said this did not stop it from affecting her.[43] She considered quitting football because of it, working with psychologists to rebuild her enjoyment of the game.[281][20][157]
Still struggling in January 2020,[282] Walsh was encouraged by Neville and England's then-head of performance Dawn Scott to "address her lifestyle habits" so that she could develop further and be able to focus on marginal gains.[283] England came third in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, held in the United States in March 2020,[284][285] before returning to England and a match hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. By October 2020, Walsh felt that her mentality was starting to thrive again. At the time, the team were preparing for more international fixtures to return.[282] England's qualification campaign for the 2023 Women's World Cup began in 2021; Walsh was one of four players to captain England during their record 20–0 defeat of Latvia that November.[286][287] Having faced underwhelming competition in the qualifiers, England took on tougher competition in preparation with the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup in February 2022, which they hosted and won;[288][289] they retained the trophy a year later.[290]
Since 2019, Walsh has been "an automatic starter for England," said by The Offside Rule to be "a name on the teamsheet that is never questioned". Establishing herself as dependable,[9] she became a regular in the squad "but struggled to impose herself because England weren't built to play her style of football".[291] Sports media and personalities affirmed that her role in the England squad is one that cannot be matched or replicated by other players.[n 4] Walsh became essential when Sarina Wiegman was appointed manager in 2021 and instilled a strong focus on passing quality.[291] Under Wiegman, England's reliance on Walsh grew;[301][302][303][304] having already been their playmaker and targeted by opposition in 2019,[305] by 2023, media believed the over-reliance gives opponents a target to subdue.[306][303][307][308]
2022–present: Euro 2022, World Cup 2023 and recognition
Every time Keira Walsh touched the ball, there was a collective exhale from the 87,192 fans inside Wembley Stadium. Everything was going to be fine.
In June 2022, Walsh was named to the England squad for the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 in July,[309][310] which they won.[311] Though ill to the point of requiring a nebuliser before the opening game,[312] Walsh started every match, playing all but five minutes.[311] She showed what Liew described as "classic understated dominance"[313] and was key throughout the tournament,[314][315] including mounting England's comeback quarter-final win over Spain.[316][317] In anticipation of the final against Germany it was reported that the outcome of the match could come down to whether Walsh or her contrasting counterpart Lena Oberdorf outperformed the other.[n 5] England won 2–1, with Walsh providing the lauded pass for England's first goal scored by Ella Toone in the 62nd minute;[311][320][321]The New York Times covered the match by saying it "was Walsh's game".[322] She was named player of the match and was subsequently included in the Team of the Tournament.[323][324]
During the 2022 Euro campaign, Walsh reflected that she was able to perform so consistently because of Wiegman's coaching style allowing Walsh to have a good mindset, that Wiegman "[is] not bothered that we make mistakes. ... She knows that that's part of the process and, for me, that gives me the confidence to try those passes".[28] Walsh repeated the sentiment in a press conference after she was voted player of the match in England's first game after the Euro,[325][326][327] a 2–0 win over Austria that saw them qualify for the 2023 World Cup.[328] With her appearance in the final qualification group game, another 10–0 win over Luxembourg on 6 September 2022, Walsh won her 50th England cap.[329] As European champions, England contested the 2023 Women's Finalissima in April 2023, defeating Copa América champions Brazil on penalties to win 1–1 (4–2 (p)), with Walsh being named player of the match.[330]
Walsh was part of the squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which began in July 2023.[331] Early in their second match she suffered a knee injury when winning the ball back;[300] rather than try to directly replace her, England drastically and successfully changed formation for their next match.[303][332][333] She suffered ligament damage, though not an ACL injury as many were concerned, and managed to return after missing only one game.[334][333] The new formation, which saw centre-back Alex Greenwood tasked with much of England's build-up play,[332][335] was retained by the squad for most of the tournament;[336][337] it limited Walsh,[338][339] whose creative play was stifled against Nigeria.[340][341] She was more commanding and influential in the quarter- and semi-final wins over Colombia and Australia,[342][343] performing reliably to help the Lionesses reach a World Cup final for the first time.[334][344][345] In the final, Walsh suffered against Spain's creative midfield,[346][347] her performance described in The Telegraph as "very poor ... by her standards".[348] England lost 0–1, to win silver.[347]
An ongoing injury, though unrelated to the World Cup injury according to Wiegman, then meant Walsh missed out on the first two 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League matches, in September 2023.[349] England had lost midfield control without Walsh;[350] she brought such control[351][352] and launched England's attacks when playing the remainder of their group matches.[353][354] Despite recording a dominant 6–0 win in the last game, England failed to advance to the Nations League finals by one goal of goal difference.[353]
Walsh served as England captain in 2024,[355][356] including for the opening match of their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign.[357] During these qualifiers she put in "a world-class performance" for England's victory over the Republic of Ireland,[358] but was sometimes less effective against stronger opponents who continued aiming to stifle her. Reporters variously opined that she should be braver on the ball,[359] and that England should introduce other creative players as support.[360] In England's final group game, which saw them qualify, the team had found ways to overcome the marking of Walsh, including using her as a left-sided centre-back for parts of the match.[361]
Great Britain (2021)
Walsh was part of the Great Britain women's football team at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021,[281] making three appearances.[362] Team GB went out in the quarterfinals, losing to the Matildas in a game that saw Walsh play sometimes as an attacking outlet. She took the first shot at goal in the fifth minute, before beating Australian goalkeeper Teagan Micah but hitting the post with a powerful strike in the fifteenth. As the game went to extra time, Walsh again opened striking, with a strong shot from distance tipped over the top of the net by a fingertip save in the 96th minute. A minute later, she was sent forward again, but was unable to score in the match that GB lost 3–4.[363][364]
Style of play
If this contest at Wembley had been a sailing race, you would not have described Walsh as the best yachtswoman involved, nor the finest boat, but as the wind itself.
Walsh plays for possession-based teams.[a 1] She is typically played as a 'number 6' holding midfielder;[a 2] "not a traditional holding English midfielder",[43][368] having instead been described as "built in the mould of a traditional Spanish midfielder",[3] her game has been consistently compared to that of Barcelona and Spain's Sergio Busquets.[n 6] As has reportedly been said of Busquets,[371][372]The Athletic wrote that "Walsh is one of those players you might not see if you watch the game—but by watching her you see the game."[311] As a regista (deep-lying playmaker), Walsh typically sets the tempo of matches she plays.[a 3] Besides technical ability, she is also praised for her stamina and leadership,[a 4] and composure on the ball.[295]
Walsh is statistically one of the most accurate passers in world football, and most often plays by passing. She is able to execute a large variety of passes equally over all distances and when under pressure,[8][365] and has a high success rate of long passes into the final third.[a 5] Her passing skills, and speed of executing them, are considered vital in the transitional phase of play.[379][380] With her awareness of her teammates' abilities, Walsh can play long passes with good weight towards space for players to run onto and meet well.[a 6] Walsh also uses passes to set up opportunities for her attacking midfielders;[381][382] playing alongside Georgia Stanway,[367] she can play to Stanway to attack,[378] as a double pivot,[373][379] or with their positions swapped.[383] Walsh also often shares the pitch with Lucy Bronze; though Bronze is usually a right-back, she can come into a midfield position for link-up play with Walsh.[a 7] The pair can also progress the ball into the final third through passing. Walsh may play shorter passes to circulate and retain possession in extended sequences of play before being incisive in shot-creating actions.[387]
Not usually an attacking player, Walsh is able to strike powerfully from distance[8][378] but is instead typically key in her team's build-up play.[365][378] Like Spanish midfielders, Walsh can use pausing tactics — La Pausa — to her team's advantage, controlling the tempo to manipulate the field of play.[a 8] She can also disguise her direction, feint passes and make complete turns to break past markers and create space for herself.[a 9] With her frequent scans of the field, Walsh will make herself open to receive the ball in a good position to retain possession or to use her first touch (which she will often take with the outside of her foot) to get away from pressure.[a 10] She has been known to receive and distribute balls quickly, too, accurately passing due to her positional awareness.[116][368] As an often heavily marked player, Walsh can use her movements to "drag opponents around"[8] before passing to openings this has created using her strong vision and range.[a 10]
When not with the ball, Walsh can be seen dictating direction of play, and moving to support players in possession.[a 11][301] She also provides defensive cover, shadowing opposition players to disrupt their play when they have possession[378][366] and to create space for her teammates to progress in attack when they are on the ball.[8][366] Walsh is effective in her midfield defensive actions[8][366] – she is reliable for interceptions and recovering loose ball situations,[8][366] and success when tackling,[378] which has become a more defining part of her game[382][389] since 2022[388] – as well as supporting the back line. She will move back to support both when they are defending[378] and to act as a stand-in when a defender moves forward in attack.[366] Walsh often positions behind the ball, to offer defensive protection ahead of the back line.[301] When acquiring the ball during opposition presses, Walsh can break press and switch play to an attacking sequence.[a 12]
In popular culture
Video clips of some of Walsh's ball skills have gone viral.[390][391] A long-range pass she made in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup,[392] taking eight Japan players out of the game to provide the assist, was quickly shared online.[41][391] Footage of Walsh in a 2022 England training session, in which she scored a solo goal after creatively evading the members of the opposition five-a-side team, was also shared widely,[390][393] particularly as it coincided with the high-profile Barcelona pursuit of her signing.[394] Though she attracted heavy media attention around this transfer, Walsh is known to stay out of the spotlight, with El País writing in 2024 that "if Caroline Graham Hansen is silent, Walsh is practically invisible."[166]
Still, aware that her hometown of Rochdale has a negative reputation, Walsh was happy to "show young kids from that area that they can go on to achieve [good] things", as well as hoping to inspire young footballers there.[20] As part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, a plaque honouring her was installed at Blackburn Rovers,[395] and she supports the Girls' Development Centre at Rochdale A.F.C.[396] In 2022, bus company Rosso, which runs between Rochdale and Rossendale, named a bus after Walsh.[397][24] She became an ambassador of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, working to promote it along with president Gemma Atkinson, in February 2024.[398] Walsh received the freedom of the borough of Rochdale on 19 October 2022, honoured by Rochdale Borough Council,[399] and a mural of her was installed in the borough in 2024.[400]
She has been nicknamed "WonderWalsh"[59][110][401] – referencing the song "Wonderwall", a song associated with Manchester City[402][391] – and described as an artist in the game,[7][391] with Nike saying in one marketing campaign that "she uses the pitch as a canvas";[403] in the run-up to the 2022 Euro, an image of her was projected on the facade of the National Gallery.[404]
Sports media has noted that the appreciation of deeper midfielders in the women's game grew significantly following the "trailblazing" work of Walsh and Oberdorf.[16][405][302] Rated by various pundits to be instrumental in England winning the 2022 Euro,[406][321] and described in the media as the unsung hero of the tournament and her team,[311][58] other players and the media reacted with surprise when Walsh did not receive a nomination for the Ballon d'Or Féminin in August 2022.[n 7]
The shirt she wore in City's 2022 League Cup victory is part of the collection of the National Football Museum. It was first put on display from October to December 2022 as part of the Crossing The Line: Game On exhibition, the second half of their focus on women's football.[413] In 2024, Walsh was parodied on the Italian satirical news show Striscia la notizia.[414]
Walsh wrote guest columns covering the men's 2022 FIFA World Cup for the Evening Standard;[415] interviewed in the newspaper, she criticised FIFA for going ahead with Qatar as host despite various issues, saying it was "a backwards step" that undermined equality.[17]
Personal life
Walsh is an advocate for mental health support[19][157] and breaking the stigma around getting help.[416] She has a West Highland White Terrier called Narla, whom she says helps her switch off.[417][157] As of 2022, her partner was teammate Lucy Bronze.[300] Walsh maintains good friendships with former youth teammates Abbie McManus and Katie Zelem,[418][419] and particularly Leah Williamson. Having come up through her international football career with Williamson, the pair receiving call-ups at the same time from under-15 to the senior squad, they became best friends.[249] She has a similar close friendship with Georgia Stanway, having gone through their club careers together until 2022.[157] As of 2024, Walsh is in a relationship with Austrian footballer Laura Feiersinger.[420]
1 2 Soccerway statistics credit Walsh with the sixth goal (90+2') Manchester City scored against Tomiris-Turan on 18 August 2022;[421][431] the UEFA match report lists it as an own goal off keeper Aytaj Sharifova.[432]The Guardian match summary described it both as a Walsh goal and as "diverted in off" the keeper.[153]
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1 2 "Walsh signs new Manchester City deal". BBC Sport. 11 June 2015. England Under-19 striker Keira Walsh has signed her first professional contract with Manchester City Women.
1 2 3 "Wonderwalsh: Man City & England's holding midfielder". SheKicks. No.57. November 2019. ISSN2051-185X. When I came back, I didn't want to play in England. I felt like I probably wasn't what the English fans wanted as a holding midfielder ... There were times when I didn't believe in myself and I thought, 'You know what? You're not good enough.' I totally believed the comments people were saying about me ... After I spoke to (Nick Cushing), I felt a bit better, but at the time, my head was all over the place.
↑ Tikas, Maria (12 November 2024). "Baño de Champions antes del clásico". Diario Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 November 2024. Keira Walsh anotó el cuarto, un golazo desde la frontal -le está cogiendo el gusto a marcar golazos, como ante el Madrid CFF-, y lo celebró con el puño, con algo de rabia.
↑ Chamberlain, Siobhan (30 November 2021). England v Latvia (Live television production). ITV4. Event occurs at 78:30–78:46 (match clock). Retrieved 30 November 2021. When [Keira] Walsh went off, Alex Greenwood took the captaincy, I think that's four England captains we've had tonight; has there ever been any more than that? Four in one evening: one for the women's football historians out there.
↑ Collings, Simon (8 August 2023). "Problems pile up for Lionesses as Wiegman works on World Cup solutions". Evening Standard. Credit must go to Nigeria for keeping her [Walsh] quiet. They were defensively excellent, but Walsh also felt a victim of the England formation. The Barcelona midfielder likes to drop deep to pick up the ball, but with three centre-backs behind her she was denied the space to do so. England ended up going long a lot more, trying to get strikers Lauren Hemp and Russo down the channels, and Walsh was often bypassed.
↑ Liew, Jonathan (20 August 2023). "England fell in love with this team but Spain serve up bittersweet ending". The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. It is hard to set the tempo when you barely get a glimpse of the ball. From the peerless Aitana Bonmatí to the waltzing Mariona Caldentey to the imperturbable Teresa Abelleira, Spain had numerous outlets for playing their way out of trouble. England had but one: Keira Walsh, whose space was squeezed all night and who had a poor game.
↑ Smith, Rory (17 October 2022). "Benzema Wins Ballon d'Or After Years of Waiting His Turn". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 18 October 2022. Even with Ferré's changes, the Ballon d'Or remains an inherently curious phenomenon, most clearly illustrated by the absence of the best player in the summer's women's European Championship, England's Keira Walsh, even from the shortlist for the women's award, won instead by Barcelona's injured star Alexia Putellas for the second year in a row.
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