GOALKEEPER Carly Waters is retiring on a high after winning bronze as part of the British team at the Deaflympics.

The team were on the international podium after beating Poland in a penalty shoot-out to claim a 4-2 victory.

The 34-year-old keeper from Langdon Hills was one of 19 players selected to wear GB colours at the prestigious event in Sofia, Bulgaria.

She has been playing for 21 years but retired after the tournament.

“It was a prefect way to finish off my football career. I have been playing for GB for 10 years and club football for 21 years. What a way to end it,” Waters said.

The GB team’s progress through the Deaflympics was tough as they found themselves in the so-called “group of death” against Russia and Germany.

Waters said: “I was an unused sub in our first match against Russia, which we lost 2-0. “We then played against Germany.

“Our goalkeeper suffered a shoulder injury and I came on to replace her after 40 minutes.”

The Brits were ahead by a single goal at half time and after the break Waters thwarted several German attacks.

She said: “I managed to block a shot from a free kick, but then we were down to 10 players after a second yellow card. Despite this we managed to score a second goal. But 10 minutes before the end Germany got a penalty and they scored.”

But Team GB had won and Waters was delighted.

She said: “When the whistle went, we all ran to the middle of the pitch to celebrate. It was our greatest win as Germany have beaten us on five occasions since 2006.

“And to make it even better it was on the exactly same date as England beat West Germany in 1966!

“It really was one of the proudest moments in my footballing career.” Waters was again initially on the bench again in the next match, the semi-final against the USA. Team GB went down 2-0 and saw two of their players injured. And then the British keeper was injured again and Waters found herself on again after 25 minutes.

She battled hard, but the USA proved too tough and the Brits were 4-0 down at half time and eventually lost 5-0. The play-off for bronze against Poland at the Vasil Levski Stadium took place in scorchingly hot weather.

Waters said: “This time I was on the bench again. At full time and after extra time it was 1-1.

“But we won the penalty shoot-out 4-2 and started our celebrations! We were jumping round with our team mates in the penalty box. The fans ran onto the pitch to join in with our celebration.

“The atmosphere was brilliant. I feel so proud to become a double bronze medalist. This was the third Deaflympics I’d taken part in.”

Waters, who started playing football aged eight, joined a hearing football club at 13 and then went on to play at Chelmsford City Ladies FC, Basildon United Ladies and at Rayleigh Raiders Ladies.

She is the technical officer for Deaf & Deafblind People, part of the Essex Cares Sensory Service which is based in Chelmsford.

Among the organisations who helped Waters were the Essex & Southend Sports Trust, friends and families and physios and individuals from the Basildon Sporting Village at Gloucester Park.