 Christiansen in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Isobel Mary Christiansen | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-09-20)20 September 1991 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Macclesfield, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2005 | Manchester United | ||
| 2005–2008 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Everton | ||
| 2009–2014 | Birmingham City | 34 | (3) |
| 2014–2018 | Manchester City | 61 | (18) |
| 2018–2019 | Lyon | 20 | (3) |
| 2020–2023 | Everton | 19 | (6) |
| International career | |||
| 2010–2014 | England U23 | 12 | (1) |
| 2015–2019 | England | 31 | (6) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Isobel Mary Christiansen (born 20 September 1991) is an Englishfootball pundit and former footballer who played as amidfielder orforward. She is known for her time withManchester City Women between 2014 and 2018, andEverton (2019–2023). She has also played forBirmingham City andLyon. She played as ajunior international in 2009 and later in the senior team, including in the2019 World Cup qualifiers.
She currently works as an under-16 girls' assistant coach at Manchester City.[1]
Isobel Mary Christiansen[2] was born inMacclesfield,Cheshire, on 20 September 1991.[3] Her father, Niels, was born inLedbury,Herefordshire, but lived with hisDanish parents in the parish ofRaklev [nl], nearKalundborg on the island ofZealand, until the age of four.[4]
Christiansen grew up in thevillage ofRainow, where she played football with friends and her brother Will.[5][6] She has a younger sister, Rosie, who is a doctor.[7] She attended Rainow Primary School, and joined the under-10s side atManchester United, before moving toEverton when she was 14.[5] During that time she attendedTytherington School in Macclesfield, and her mother would pick her up from school before the end of the day and drive her to training three days a week, picking upDanielle Turner (later Everton captain) inWarrington on the way.[8]
Christiansen studiedsports science atBirmingham University[7] from 2011.[5] She worked alongside studying, including a stint in the Maggoty Johnson bistro inBollington. She initially aspired to be a teacher.[6]
Christiansen captained the women's football club at theUniversity of Birmingham.[9][10]She played mostly as amidfielder orforward.[11][12]Christiansen has played in theUEFA Women's Champions League withEverton[13] and also played forBirmingham City.[14]
On 7 February 2014, Christiansen officially signed for new WSL clubManchester City Women.[15] On 16 October 2014, she scored the only goal to help Manchester City defeatArsenal Ladies and win the2014 FA WSL Continental Cup.[16]
On 23 July 2018, Christiansen signed a contract with defending European ChampionsLyon until 2020.[17] In her first season with the club, Lyon won the treble: winningDivision 1 Féminine,Coupe de France andChampions League.[citation needed]
On 27 December 2019, Christiansen announced her return to England, signing an 18-month deal withEverton.[18] She made her debut, in the following season, in a 4–0 league win againstBristol City on 6 September 2020.[19] A week later, Christiansen scored her first goal since returning in a 1–0 win againstTottenham Hotspur.[20]
On 25 May 2023 she announced she would retire at the end of the 2022/23 season.[21]
As ajunior international, she won the2009 U-19 European Championship[22] and a silver inthe following year's edition,[23] and played the2008 U-17 and2010 U-20 World Cups.[24]
Christiansen helped Great Britain to win a gold medal in the2013 Summer Universiade inKazan, Russia.[2] In January 2014, she was promoted from theunder-23s into the senior England squad, to replaceJodie Taylor who had withdrawn.[25]
CoachMark Sampson gave Christiansen her senior international debut in aUEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying match againstEstonia on 21 September 2015. She marked the occasion by scoring in England's 8–0 win.[26][27]
In March 2019, Christiansen underwent surgery on an ankle injury sustained in England's 3–0SheBelieves Cup win overJapan.[28] England coachPhil Neville called her "vital" to his squad and hoped that her rehabilitation programme would restore her to fitness for the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[29]
Christiansen was allotted 189 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[30][31]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 September 2015 | A. Le Coq Arena,Tallinn,Estonia |  Estonia | 5–0 | 8–0 | Euro 2017 qualifying |
| 2 | 23 October 2015 | Yongchuan Sports Center,Chongqing,China |  Australia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 Yongchuan International Tournament |
| 3 | 4 June 2016 | Adams Park,Wycombe, England |  Serbia | 5–0 | 7–0 | Euro 2017 qualifying |
| 4 | 10 April 2017 | Stadium MK,Milton Keynes, England |  Austria | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 28 November 2017 | Colchester Community Stadium,Colchester, England |  Kazakhstan | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2019 World Cup qualifying |
| 6 | 4 September 2018 | Tsentralniy,Pavlodar, Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan | 3–0 | 6–0 |
In June 2020, Christiansen joinedCommon Goal, becoming the first Everton player to do so.[33] By joining the charity, players pledge at least one percent of their salaries to a community fund that supports young people's football in around 90 countries.[7]
Christiansen has been working as a coach, as well as making several appearances as a football pundit and commentator since 2019. She announced her decision to retire from football on the podcast "Three Players and a Podcast" in May 2023.[34]
In June 2023, she ran part of an endurance run, betweenLeeds andManchester, to assist amotor neurone disease charity.[34]
She provided co-commentary for the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for theSeven Network in Australia[35] and for the world feed produced by Host Broadcast Services (HBS).
Birmingham City
Manchester City
Olympique Lyonnais
England
