Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.34 2022-23

Everton midfielder Izzy Christiansen has announced she will retire from playing at the end
of the 2022-23 season. The 31-year-old, who began her senior career with the Toffees before
rejoining the club in 2020, has enjoyed outstanding success throughout her 14 years at the
top level of women's football.
Izzy Christiansen first came to prominence in 2008 as a part of the England Under-17
squad which reached the semi finals of the World Cup in New Zealand, and scored a
stunning goal from 40 yards against Japan in the quarter finals.
A year later, she was a regular member of the team which won the UEFA Under-19
Championships in Belarus, the only time to date that England have won the trophy.
Domestically, she first tasted success with Birmingham City, helping them beat
Chelsea on penalties in the 2012 FA Women’s Cup Final at Ashton Gate. Her spell at the
Blues included finishing as runners-up twice in the newly formed FA WSL, reaching the
Continental Cup Final and the semi finals of the UEFA Women’s Cup.
Making her England debut while at Manchester City in 2015, Christiansen notched up
31 senior England caps, six international goals and a SheBelieves Cup winners' medal,
having helped the Lionesses lift the trophy in 2019.
On Sunday she could fittingly make her final professional appearance against
Manchester City, for whom she won a WSL title, an FA Cup and two FA WSL Continental
Cups during a superb four-year spell between 2014 and 2018. During that period, Izzy was
named PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year and included in the PFA WSL Team of the
Year in 2016.
Following her trophy-laden stint in Manchester, the Macclesfield-born midfielder
joined defending European champions Olympique Lyonnais in 2018 and scooped a treble
in her first season with the French outfit, winning Division 1 Féminine, Coupe de France and
the UEFA Women’s Champions League, as well as the Trophée des Championnes the
following summer.
Izzy returned to England and her first club, Everton in January 2020 and while unable
to make an appearance during the 2019-20 season owing to injury and the WSL season
being curtailed early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she became a key figure the following
term. She was also instrumental as Everton reached the FA Cup Final in November 2020
and assisted Valerie Gauvin for the Blues’ equaliser against Manchester City at Wembley,
before the Toffees were eventually beaten 3-1 after extra time.
Izzy Christiansen, who in recent years has become a football pundit on television and
radio, retires having made more than 300 appearances for club and country, scoring 62
career goals.

The BBC and Sky Sports have made their broadcast selections for the final weekend of the
Barclays Women’s Super League, with two huge fixtures that will determine the title winner
this season.
The Round 22 fixtures that will be broadcast live are:
● Saturday 27 May – 14:30 KO – Reading v Chelsea – Select Car Leasing Stadium
(Sky Sports Premier League)
● Saturday 27 May – 14:30 KO – Liverpool v Manchester United – Prenton Park (BBC
One)
All Barclays WSL matches on Saturday will kick off at 2.30pm.
news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk