STRICTLY’S surprise sensation Karen Carney took part in dancing contests as a child — and believes it made her an even better footballer.
The former England Lioness, 38, unexpectedly rocketed to the top of the leaderboard with a jaw-dropping jive on Saturday night.
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Viewers branded her the ultimate underdog while bookies feared it could be the biggest upset for years, with her odds of winning tumbling from 16/1 to 5/1.
But the player-turned-TV pundit revealed in an old interview with the FA that she trained in dance before seriously getting into football.
The West Midlander said: “I enjoyed football when I was a kid and had loads of kickabouts but I didn’t join my first club until I was 11. Until then, it was all about dancing for me.
“We did loads of different routines and genres of music; street dancing, hip-hop, disco, rock ’n’ roll, slow dancing, team dances.”
She revealed that she trained in dance for up to three hours every Saturday then competed in “big events” on a Sunday.
Karen, who would go on to win 144 caps with England, recalled: “When I got a bit older and my football matches switched to a Sunday, I had some choices to make.
“I decided to give up dancing when I was 15.
“My agility, my strength, my power and how I move my feet during a match are all definitely down to dancing, 100 per cent.
“I was quite little but I was quite strong and that was because all the dancing made my muscles stronger.”
Karen and her pro partner Carlos Gu won 31 points for their football-themed dance to Blondie’s One Way Or Another.
Judge Anton Du Beke called it “the best of the night”.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “From 16/1 to just 5/1 is practically unheard of after one performance.
“Karen’s already well on course to cause one of the biggest Strictly upsets we’ve seen in recent years.”
A show source said: ‘Like Lewis and Amber, Karen never trained in Latin or Ballroom dancing.”
