Former England footballer Karen Carney has opened up about a secret health condition that affected her entire career. The 38-year-old, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing, revealed she has Scheuermann’s disease, a condition causing curvature at the top of her spine.
Carney, who played for Chelsea and Arsenal, said she suffered with the condition throughout her football career but never made it a big issue. 'Sometimes it was disheartening when I played and it did impact my career, but I just got on with it,' she said.
The ex-midfielder spent significant time in the physiotherapy room to manage the condition and continue playing for both club and country. Despite the battle, Carney won three Premier League titles and numerous domestic cups, and earned 144 caps for England over 14 years.
On Strictly, Carney recently achieved a perfect score. She said: 'I just want to show that I might not be the perfect dancer. I will not have the perfect posture, but I’ll certainly give it my best.'
Since retiring, Carney works as a pundit for TNT Sports and ITV, co-hosts the Long Story Short podcast with Jill Scott, and was appointed OBE in 2024.
