Mary Earps and Millie Bright will forever regret walking out on England

Telegraph

24-07-2025

Whether she is ever recalled to the squad by Wiegman remains to be seen, but it could be that, although Bright has not officially announced her retirement from international football, this is the end.
A fine player, a brave competitor, a veteran of four tournaments and once a respected leader within the squad, she might not wear the Three Lions on her chest again if Wiegman feels betrayed by what happened. What a sad and regrettable outcome that would be.
Only Bright knows why she pulled out of the squad and if she will be fit for the start of the Women's Super League season, but surely she regrets the decision when she watches the euphoric, ecstatic scenes in Zurich and Geneva. Bright walked away and it seems unlikely England will be rushing to welcome her back.
The Lionesses have not missed goalkeeper Earps on the pitch since her shock retirement, at the age of just 32. It could be that they have not missed her off it, either.
The form of Hannah Hampton, the younger rival who replaced her as No 1 and prompted her petulant decision to quit, has fully vindicated Wiegman's call to make that change to the pecking order.
Earps, who is desperate to launch herself as a media personality while she continues to play her club football for Paris St-Germain, has fame and celebrity. She will probably go on to have a decent enough career in television or radio – although may be frustrated in her rumoured ambition to become the next Alex Scott as a presenter rather than a pundit – but she foolishly cut her England career short.
The suspicion is she did so to get a head start on the rest of the 2022 class, looking to strike while her playing profile was at its highest having been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023. It may well pay off; she certainly has the charisma and enthusiasm for it.
Yet, it is a decision all those who have retired from the game know she will come to regret. You are, as the old saying goes, a long time retired. Nothing will ever replace the thrill and excitement of playing.
Even Gary Lineker, who launched the most successful media career of any former player, admits he would still rather be playing for England than watching and talking.
As one former England international told Telegraph Sport: 'Mary will find out what we all found out when we retired. People soon forget about you.
'We all look back on your time with England as a privilege and an honour. They are the best days of your life. The last thing you want to do is cut them short. She will, in time, regret it, I'm sure. She could have been involved in at least two more major tournaments as a goalkeeper.'
Decisions made in haste can often lead to a long period of regret. You suspect this is one of those. Bright and Earps should have been part of this England squad, but chose another route. They prioritised their own needs over the team's.
This pack of Lionesses has grown stronger without them. Wiegman said they had already moved on before the tournament began. Everything that has happened since confirms it.