Izzy Christiansen

Izzy Christiansen
Isobel Mary "Izzy" Christiansen (born 20 September 1991) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder or forward. She is especially known for her time with Manchester City Women between 2014 and 2018, and Everton (2019–2023). She has also played for Birmingham City, and Lyon. She played as a junior international in 2009 and later in the senior team, including in the 2019 World Cup qualifiers.
Early life and education
Isobel Mary Christiansen was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, on 20 September 1991. Her father, Niels, was born in Ledbury, Herefordshire, but lived with his Danish parents in the parish of , near Kalundborg on the island of Zealand, until the age of four.
Christiansen grew up in the village of Rainow, where she played football with friends and her brother Will. She has a younger sister, Rosie, who is a doctor. She attended Rainow Primary School, and joined the under-10s side at Manchester United, before moving to Everton when she was 14. During that time she attended Tytherington 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 up Danielle Turner (later Everton captain) in Warrington on the way.
Christiansen studied sports science at Birmingham University from 2011. She worked alongside studying, including a stint in the Maggoty Johnson bistro in Bollington. She initially aspired to be a teacher.
Club career
Christiansen captained the women's football club at the University of Birmingham.
She played mostly as a midfielder or forward.
Christiansen has played in the UEFA Women's Champions League with Everton and also played for Birmingham City.
On 7 February 2014, Christiansen officially signed for new WSL club Manchester City Women. On 16 October 2014, she scored the only goal to help Manchester City defeat Arsenal Ladies and win the 2014 FA WSL Continental Cup.
On 23 July 2018, Christiansen signed a contract with defending European Champions Lyon until 2020. In her first season with the club, Lyon won the treble: winning Division 1 Féminine, Coupe de France and Champions League.
On 27 December 2019, Christiansen announced her return to England, signing an 18-month deal with Everton. She made her debut, in the following season, in a 4–0 league win against Bristol City on 6 September 2020. A week later, Christiansen scored her first goal since returning in a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
On 25 May 2023 she announced she would retire at the end of the 2022/23 season.
International career
As a junior international, she won the 2009 U-19 European Championship and a silver in the following year's edition, and played the 2008 U-17 and 2010 U-20 World Cups.
Christiansen helped Great Britain to win a gold medal in the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia. In January 2014, she was promoted from the under-23s into the senior England squad, to replace Jodie Taylor who had withdrawn.
Coach Mark Sampson gave Christiansen her senior international debut in a UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying match against Estonia on 21 September 2015. She marked the occasion by scoring in England's 8–0 win.
In March 2019, Christiansen underwent surgery on an ankle injury sustained in England's 3–0 SheBelieves Cup win over Japan. England coach Phil Neville called her "vital" to his squad and hoped that her rehabilitation programme would restore her to fitness for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Christiansen was allotted 189 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.
International goals
England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Christiansen goal.
Other activities and post-football career
In June 2020, Christiansen joined Common Goal, becoming the first Everton player to do so. 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.
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.
In June 2023, she ran part of an endurance run, between Leeds and Manchester, to assist a motor neurone disease charity.
She provided co-commentary for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Seven Network in Australia.
Honours
Team
Birmingham City
FA Women's Cup: 2011–12
Manchester City
FA WSL Continental Cup: 2014, 2016
Women's Super League: 2016
Women's FA Cup: 2016–17
Olympique Lyonnais
Division 1 Féminine: 2018–19
Coupe de France: 2019
UEFA Women's Champions League: 2018–19
Trophée des Championnes: 2019
England
SheBelieves Cup: 2019
Individual
2015: Vitality Fitness Award
2015: Etihad Airways Player of the Season
2015: MCWFC Supporters Club Player of the Season Award
2015–2016:PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year
References
External links
1991 births
Living people
Footballers from Macclesfield
English women's footballers
Women's association football midfielders
Everton F.C. (women) players
Birmingham City W.F.C. players
FA Women's National League players
Manchester City W.F.C. players
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin players
Women's Super League players
Division 1 Féminine players
England women's under-23 international footballers
England women's international footballers
UEFA Women's Euro 2017 players
FISU World University Games gold medalists for Great Britain
Universiade medalists in football
Expatriate women's footballers in France
English expatriate sportspeople in France