Inside Mary Earps' shock England retirement: Anger from Wiegman, mixed feelings from team-mates

New York Times

28-05-2025

Mary Earps turned up to St George's Park, the England Football Association's national centre, on Monday, but she did not train like the rest of the squad.
Instead, the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, who paid for her flight from Paris, said goodbye to her England team-mates face-to-face before leaving camp.
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Earps will play no part in the 2025 European Championships after deciding to retire from international football immediately. 'This is the right time for me to step aside and give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive,' said Earps in an FA statement.
The decision was a surprise to the players, coming just five weeks before this summer's major tournament and days before their Nations League fixtures against Portugal and Spain.
However, England manager Sarina Wiegman had told the 32-year-old that she would not be the No 1 goalkeeper for the Euros to make way for Chelsea's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, who, like all in this article, wishes to remain anonymous to protect relations, there had been conversations between Wiegman and Earps about her retirement for the last 12 to 18 months. In April, Earps informed Wiegman about her decision to retire, but the England boss asked her to reconsider.
This was not a snap decision from Earps. She described it as a 'difficult' one which she has spent a 'long time making' and not one she has made 'lightly' in the FA statement.
In a short address to the squad on Monday evening, Wiegman expressed, in front of Earps, sentiments of frustration, disappointment and anger at Earps' decision before walking out of the room. The England boss did not thank the player in the meeting and there was no mention of Wiegman in Earps' statement either.
In contrast, when Earps collected her Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper award for 2022, she said: 'Sarina, I've run out of words to say thanks to you for the opportunity you've given me to chase my wildest dreams and for believing in me the way you have.'
In an FA statement published on Tuesday morning, Wiegman said she had hoped Earps would play an 'important role within the squad this summer' and was 'disappointed'.
'Mary has made a huge contribution to not only the team, but the whole of English football,' added Wiegman. 'We will cherish those memories and of course give Mary the tributes she deserves after the summer but for now the focus needs to be on the upcoming UEFA Women's Nations League fixtures and the Euros.'
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There were mixed feelings among the England squad over Earps' decision to retire now. According to sources, some felt the decision was selfish, but others thanked her for her longstanding contributions in person and online, and felt the way in which the situation had unfolded was very unfair to her.
The battle for the No 1 spot came about when Earps withdrew with a hip injury in the opening minutes of England's qualifier against France in May last year. Hampton started the reverse fixture against France while Earps was recovering but also started the next two games that summer when Earps was available.
In the autumn, winter and spring international breaks, Wiegman alternated her goalkeepers and gave them one big game each. Hampton started against Germany, in which England lost 4-3, while Earps started against South Africa, a 2-1 win.
Then Earps started against the United States, a 0-0 draw, and Hampton started against Switzerland, a 1-0 win. In February 2025, Earps started against Portugal, a 1-1 draw, but Hampton got the nod against World Champions Spain, which England won 1-0.
According to a source, Earps feels she has done nothing wrong to lose her place and has done her job every time she has pulled on the England shirt.
Hampton has since started back-to-back games against Belgium in April, with England winning one and losing the other. Before the last game, Wiegman told ITV: 'I have two world-class goalkeepers. At the moment, Hannah is a little bit ahead.'
Last season, Earps moved from Manchester United to PSG, who finished second to Lyon in the league, and she has had a mixed campaign.
Both Earps and Hampton have played a very similar number of minutes and faced a very similar number of shots, but Earps' shot-stopping has not been as strong, conceding 1.6 goals more than expected, based on the quality of shots faced. Hampton, meanwhile, has prevented 2.1 more goals than expected. Of course, factors beyond their control, such as the defenders operating in front of them, come into play.
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Hampton's distribution is also a big plus, but England will miss Earps' communication, experience and leadership on and off the pitch.
Earps' retirement and its timing put England in a vulnerable position. Although a mainstay with Chelsea, Hampton does not have any major tournament experience.
Should the 24-year-old get injured, Wiegman has only Manchester City's Khiara Keating and Orlando Pride's Anna Moorhouse to call, neither of whom has an England cap.
Ellie Roebuck, Euro 2022 and 2023 World Cup squad member, who has 11 caps, is another option but she has not been selected for two and a half years. The Barcelona reserve goalkeeper suffered a stroke in February 2024 and missed the majority of the season.
At the age of 32, Earps still has plenty of road ahead of her, especially as a goalkeeper, and there is no sign of her slowing down on the domestic stage. It makes the decision all the more intriguing.
In her social media statement, she said she is 'excited' to focus fully on club football. 'I have so much energy to continue to strive for greatness, to learn and push myself, to maximise every last ounce of potential I have.'
But for now, she will not wear the England goalkeeping shirt again, the one she fought so ardently for.