Karen Carney deletes Twitter account amid torrent of abuse stemming from Leeds tweet

Former England international was mocked by the club online after they beat West Brom 5-0

Karen Carney has been working as a pundit since retiring as a player in 2019 (Getty Images)

Karen Carney has deleted her Twitter account amid the wave of abuse she has received following a tweet by Leeds United.

The Premier League club singled out the former England international following their 5-0 win against West Brom this week, mocking remarks the pundit made after the final whistle.

“I actually think they got promoted [last season] because of Covid, in terms of it gave them a bit of respite,” Carney told Amazon Prime.

 The admin of Leeds’ Twitter account responded by re-sharing a clip of Carney’s comments, adding the caption: “‘Promoted because of Covid’… Won the league by 10 points.”

The tweet led to a torrent of abuse directed at Carney, 33, with Leeds only condemning the reaction of their fans after the club’s owner, Andrea Radrizzani, had backed the post.

A Leeds statement read: “Everyone at our club respects Karen greatly for all she has achieved in the game, as well as her work in the media and the charity work she undertakes.”

The original tweet has still not been deleted, and Carney, who represented Arsenal, Chelsea and Birmingham at club level, has now deleted her Twitter account.

Two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe of the United States was among those to criticise Leeds for the tweet.

“Shame. Shame. Shame,” she wrote on Twitter. “Thicken up that skin y’all. Also, don’t come for @karenjcarney she’s a National treasure.”

Women in Football also reacted to Leeds’ post by releasing a statement that read: “Whether you agree with the comment or not, singling out and ridiculing an individual on an official club account is not what we’re here for.

“Karen Carney is a well-informed pundit. This tweet is inciteful and inappropriate.”

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