Euro 2022: Karen Carney predicts champions, Golden Boot & England’s stars

The wait for Euro 2022 is finally over and fans from all over the world have bought their tickets for the highly anticipated tournament.

England will host the opening match against Austria at a sold-out Old Trafford and blockbuster clashes will continue to roll out across the country until the final is held at Wembley Stadium.

Former Chelsea star and England centurion Karen Carney spoke to GiveMeSport Women about the growth of the competition and who will set the stage alight this month.

Carney, who made her international debut for the Lionesses in 2005, has watched the sport blossom over the years.

The midfielder turned pundit admitted she always felt there was “an appetite” for women’s football during her playing days. Now, as England prepare to host their second European Championship, the demand for the sport has never been higher.

“There was always an inkling. My first tournament in 2005 were at the Euros, we hosted it at home and there were 32,000 people there. The Olympic Games, there was 80,000 people there. So I was always like ‘hey, there’s an appetite’ but it wasn’t consistent because it wasn’t consistently in people’s vision.

“It wasn’t marketed regularly enough to give it the support that it needed. I always felt like there was an appetite there but I also felt we needed a lot more support and investment.”

Indeed, the tide of the women’s game has shifted significantly over the last 15 years. Carney was talking as research from booking.com showed more than 78 per cent of England fans say many of today’s professional female footballers are just as skilful as their top male counterparts.

The narrative of constantly being compared to male players is something that women’s football continues to endure. However,