Three ex-Chelsea and Arsenal stars have become the latest players to be inducted into the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame.
Legendary midfielder Karen Carney was the first of the 2022 recruits to be announced earlier today, before the subsequent unveiling of former striker Eni Aluko and no-nonsense midfielder Katie Chapman took the total tally of players bestowed with the honour up to seven since the initiative was launched last year.
Carney earned 144 England caps before ending her career at the 2019 FIFA World Cup where the Lionesses finished in fourth place. The 35-year-old was also part of the historic Arsenal team that won the quadruple in 2007. As well as securing plenty of silverware with the Gunners, Carney had stints at Birmingham City, Chelsea and Chicago Red Stars - winning a FA Cup with City and a league and cup double in 2018 with the Londoners.
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Aluko also enjoyed a successful spell at Chelsea, winning two Barclays WSL titles and two Vitality Women’s FA Cups, as well as being awarded Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 2015. Her form also saw her selected onto the PFA’s Women’s Super League Team of the Year in 2015 and 2017.
The striker departed the club in 2018 and left as the Blues' top scorer with 68 goals. Playing over 100 times for her country in multiple World Cups and European Championships, the former Lioness finished her career at Juventus before announcing her retirement in January 2020.
Midfielder Chapman’s achievements are almost unmatched, having played an integral role in central midfield for a host of teams in the WSL. During her seven years in the league, she won four Barclays WSL titles, four Vitality Women’s FA Cups (ten in total across her career) and three FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cups.
In 2014, Chapman moved to Chelsea, where she finished her career with another two league titles in 2015 and 2018, and two Vitality Women’s FA Cups – the second being her last match as a professional in 2018. The 40-year-old announced her retirement following the Vitality Women’s FA Cup triumph, but has remained a prominent figure in the women's game, working as a pundit for BBC Sport’s coverage of the Barclays WSL.
Speaking about Carney's induction into the Hall of Fame, chair of the Barclays WSL Hall of Fame panel, Kelly Simmons, said: “Induction into the Barclays WSL Hall of Fame is the highest individual honour offered by the league and I am delighted that Karen is our first inductee of 2022.
“She played at the very highest level for a prolonged period of time, and her record speaks for itself. She is absolutely deserving of being inducted into our Barclays WSL Hall of Fame.
“Not only was she an incredible player, but she is a wonderful ambassador for our game and has gone on to be a brilliant pundit. Congratulations on your induction, Karen.”
Extended interviews with all of this year's inductees are available to watch on Sky Sports’ ‘Inside the WSL’ show tonight at 6.30pm on Sky Sports Football.
You can find out more about the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame and learn more about the inductees at wslhalloffame.thefa.com. You can keep up with the latest inductee unveilings on the Barclays WSL Twitter page.
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