Karen Bardsley

Bardsley guarding the Sky Blue goal, 2010.

After college, Bardsley joined Ajax America Women for the 2007 WPSL season and played for Pali Blues during the 2008 W-League season.[7] The team went undefeated 14–0 and won the league championship.[8]

Bardsley (top row, second from left) with Sky Blue FC at the White House, July 2010.

Bardsley was selected by Sky Blue FC as a third round pick in the 2009 WPS Draft ahead of the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).[9] She competed in four games for the club in their 2009 season. Sky Blue finished the regular season in fourth place with a 7–8–5 record and advanced to the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs where they defeated the Washington Freedom 2–1 and Saint Louis Athletica 1–0 during the semi-final.[10] After a 1–0 win against Los Angeles Sol, the team clinched the league championship and were later invited to the White House to be honoured by President Barack Obama.[11]

During the 2010 WPS season, Bardsley competed in 10 matches recording 900 minutes in goal.[12] During a match against Atlanta in May 2010, she made 13 saves helping the team win 1–0. Sky Blue head coach Pauliina Miettinen reveled, "As a team, it gives you a huge confidence boost when you know that you will get such a high level of play by your goalkeeper."[13] She was named the WPS Player of the Month the same month.[14] During a training session in July 2010, Bardsley injured her clavicle when she led the league with five shutouts and a .90 goals against average (GAA).[14] The team finished in fifth place with a 7–10–7 record narrowly missing the WPS Playoffs.[15]

During the 2011 WPS season, Bardsley competed in three matches for Sky Blue largely due to her 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup commitments with the England national team. Sky Blue finished in fifth place with a 5–9–4 record.[16]

In August 2011 Bardsley joined Swedish club Linköpings FC.[17] With Linköpings, Bardsley made three Damallsvenskan appearances in 2011, but none in 2012 as Sofia Lundgren remained the first choice goalkeeper.[18] During the 2011 season, the team finished in sixth place with a 9–5–8 record.[19] During the 2012 season, it finished in third place with a 11–5–6 record.[20]

Bardsley announced a transfer to Lincoln Ladies of the FA WSL in November 2012 ahead of the 2013 FA WSL season.[21] She was the starting goalkeeper in all 14 matches. The team finished in sixth place with a 2–8–4 record.[22]

Bardsley moved at the end of the 2013 season to Manchester City on a two-year deal.[23] Her two-year City stint started successfully with Bardsley playing a pivotal role in the club winning the 2014 Continental Cup.[24] In March 2015, Bardsley was given a three-match ban for violent conduct in a 0–0 draw with Birmingham City after a fight with Birmingham City forward Freda Ayisi, who was expelled from the match immediately.[25] She later stated, "Passions ran high against Birmingham. Viewing the footage again, I regret the incident with Freda Ayisi. Whilst I was provoked, it was out of character for me to react in that way. I’ve contacted Birmingham to apologise for my involvement."[26]

During the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, despite being first choice in the England national side, Bardsley lost her starting position for Manchester City to English teenager Ellie Roebuck. At the start of the following season, it was announced that Bardsley would miss the 2019 Women's International Champions Cup due to a hamstring injury.[27][28]

She made her 100th appearance in a continental cup match against Liverpool on the 4th of November 2020. [29]

By the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, Bardsley had taken over the national team's first choice goalkeeping position from Rachel Brown.[33] After England's 1–1 opening group match draw with Mexico, coach Powell reported that Bardsley was "devastated" following the concession of a long-range equaliser to Mónica Ocampo.[34] In England's quarter final exit to France, Bardsley saved the first penalty in the shootout, but misses from Claire Rafferty and Faye White sent England home.[35]

In June 2012 Bardsley was named in the 18–player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics.[36] She played in all four games as Great Britain were beaten 2–0 by Canada in the last eight.[37]

At UEFA Women's Euro 2013 England lost 3–2 to Spain in their opening game, when Bardsley scored a 94th-minute own goal,[38] and were knocked out in the first round. Hope Powell was sacked in the wake of that failure but new coach Mark Sampson continued to select Bardsley.

Bardsley defends England's goal against Germany during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, July 2015

In May 2015, Bardsley was named to England's final squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, hosted in Canada.[39] Bardsley had previously played as goalkeeper in all five games and was part of the history-making team which beat Norway in the round of 16 to become the first senior England women's team to win a world cup knockout match. She was substituted in the 51st minute of the quarter-final match against Canada,[40] after suffering an inflammation of her right eye; she was immediately taken off pitch with her eye visibly swollen and was substituted with Siobhan Chamberlain. The reasoning for the swelling was unknown, but parts of the artificial turf were suspected.[41]

Bardsley played in England's first two Group games (against Scotland and Spain) but was rested in the final Group game against Portugal. She suffered a fractured fibula in England's quarter-final against France and did not take any further part in the tournament.[42]

Bardsley with her England teammates at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

On 8 May 2019, she was named in the squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in two of the matches in the group stage, against Scotland[43] and Japan. She played in the round of 16 against Cameroon[44] and in the quarter-final against Norway.[45]