Mary Earps divides opinion like no other women's footballer

Yahoo

28-05-2025

Mary Queen of Stops or Mary Queen of Strops? That was the debate raging in the aftermath of Mary Earps' decision to retire from the Lionesses.
The goalkeeper, who won 53 caps during eight years, chose to end her international career just five weeks before England launch the defence of their European Championship title.
It comes after Earps was told by manager Sarina Wiegman that she would not be the No 1 goalkeeper at the tournament and that she would be deputy to Hannah Hampton.
Earps's decision has divided opinion. There are some who believe, after everything she has achieved with the national team, that she has every right to bow out when she likes and on her own terms. There are others who view her actions as poorly timed and selfish.
There are also people who sit somewhere in the middle.
The vast majority will acknowledge that this is a sad way for a European champion, two-time Fifa Best winner and, in many ways, cult hero to finish her international career.
Had she waited until after the Euros to retire, she would undoubtedly have been given a huge send-off. Wiegman seemed to indicate that could still happen after the tournament, but any farewell will now feel slightly tainted.
Perhaps Earps was not bothered about getting a goodbye, but many fans would have appreciated the opportunity to see her in an England shirt one last time. Not every player can have a fairy-tale exit like Jill Scott and Ellen White, you only have to ask Steph Houghton, who had the decision taken out of her hands by Wiegman omitting her from both the Euro 2022 and 2023 World Cup squads.
Earps undoubtedly changed the perception of female goalkeepers and broke ground with her campaign to force Nike to sell her shirt after the 2023 World Cup. That is what truly kick-started a rise which culminated in her being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
There were some who believed that, because the Lionesses did not win the World Cup, Earps was not worthy of the award, but many people backed and stood up for her.
As well as her off-the-pitch actions, Earps also won popularity for her no-nonsense approach to goalkeeping. When Earps saved a penalty in the World Cup final, she screamed 'F------ yes, f--- off!' T-shirts with Earps holding the ball and that caption alongside her were printed and sold out after the tournament.
But not everybody appreciated her on-pitch exuberance. It was sometimes perceived as arrogance. As one person told Telegraph Sport, Earps is the only goalkeeper they have ever seen make a save and then turn around to the TV camera and shout 'what a save!'
Bellingham got the vibe from the great Mary Earps 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 "what a save!" 😂😂 https://t.co/Eg2yjsTPeH pic.twitter.com/HbN5w8kHhE
— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) June 30, 2024
This is not the first time Earps has divided opinion in a football sense. When she returned from the World Cup she was heavily linked with a move from Manchester United to Arsenal.
It is understood Earps wanted the transfer, but that United and Arsenal could not come to an agreement over a fee. There were reports that Earps had cut an 'isolated' figure in training and looked as if she did not want to be there, which provoked the ire of United fans.
Earps later hit out in an interview with ITV, saying: 'It's been hard to see how I've been portrayed at times. Having your body language and your facial expressions heavily scrutinised. I care deeply about Manchester United as a club and all I have ever tried to do is give my absolute best.'
There were some fans who sided with her while others felt she was being disingenuous.
The public is split on Earps and it is understood so is the England dressing room. Several players posted glowing messages for Earps on their Instagram accounts, with the goalkeeper sharing each one on her own story. After the awkward meeting in which Earps informed her team-mates of her decision to retire, many wanted Wiegman to speak up and say something nice about her career. Instead, Wiegman is understood to have expressed her anger and frustration in front of the room.
While some players were unhappy with how the meeting played out and felt Earps deserved better treatment, privately many viewed her decision to retire now as selfish and were disappointed by her actions.
The 32-year-old said it was the right time to 'step aside and give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive'. But the two goalkeepers behind Hampton, Anna Moorhouse and Khiara Keating, are uncapped and inexperienced at international level. Some feel she has left England in the lurch when they needed her, while others believe it is completely fair that she does not want to go to a tournament and sit on the bench.
Earps will likely give a full account of her story in time and we will hear what Wiegman has to say at her pre-match press conference on Thursday. It may unfold into a PR battle between the two. Who was in the right? Who was in the wrong? Who will people believe?
Opinion will no doubt remain divided.
Earps will always be one of England's greatest goalkeepers and somebody who fought for and achieved change off the pitch. But some will not view her international career through the same glittering lens they would have had she retired in better circumstances.