The last English player to hold the world transfer record? Neither is Jack Grealish, Rio Ferdinand or even Alan Shearer.
The answer is Keira Walsh, whose move from Manchester City to Barcelona in 2022 was the most expensive transfer fee in women’s football at the time, with transfer fees between clubs as high as £400,000.
But why did Walsh cost the Catalan giants so much, and how did she become one of the best players England has produced in recent years? Here’s everything you need to know about Keira Walsh.
Keira Walsh: her career so far
With one international title, two Champions League titles and three domestic titles under his belt, Walsh is one of the most decorated English players in recent years.
The midfield maestro began her career at hometown club Blackburn Rovers but was regularly featured in defense during her youth days. Despite his achievements at Rangers, making his debut in the 2014 Northern Premier League defeat to Sheffield Town, Walsh was signed by Manchester City later that year.
A Manchester City supporter, Walsh almost immediately became an important player for the club, despite having just signed her first professional contract. Nick Cushing’s side won the League Cup – Walsh’s first trophy – that same season.
After suffering an injury during the 2015 season, Walsh returned to his best form in time for the 2016 campaign, which saw City win all three domestic trophies – the WSL, League Cup and FA Cup.
Walsh was named man of the match for his outstanding performance in the 4-1 FA Cup final win over Birmingham City.
Her presence in midfield at Wembley would be a sign of things to come.
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A playmaker from the back for the Lionesses under Phil Neville at the 2019 World Cup, Walsh did come in for criticism in some quarters for not dictating play as she had at Manchester City.
However, any doubts about her ability to perform on the global stage were truly dispelled three years later when England hosted the European Championships.
At Euro 2022, Walsh was the Lionesses’ best player – starting every game and playing just five minutes against England. In the quarter-final against Spain, she managed to silence some of the best midfielders in the world, including future Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati.
In the subsequent final at Wembley, Walsh completely dominated opponent Lena Oberdorff and scored Ella Thune’s first goal of the tournament. The midfielder was named Man of the Match and named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.
Within weeks of becoming European champions, Walsh was attracted by Barcelona and WSL rivals Chelsea, opting to move to the former for a world-record transfer fee.
Joining up with team-mate Lucy Bronze, Walsh immediately found a home in one of the best club midfielders in the world and ended her first season in Spain with a Champions League final victory, helping Barcelona to a dramatic Comeback victory over Wolfsburg.
After helping Barca win another league title and Champions League title in 2024, Walsh is widely revered as one of the best holding midfielders in the world. A Golden Globe nomination is bound to happen at some point.
