Latest news with #MaryEarps
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Arise, Dame Sarina! Lionesses' Dutch manager Wiegman in line for honorary damehood - even if England lose Euros final - amid fears of a sexism row over Sir Gareth Southgate's knighthood
Sarina Wiegman is in line to receive an honorary damehood if England retain the women's European Championship, according to a report. The Dutch manager, who lead the Lionesses' to their third successive major tournament final on Tuesday night, could reportedly nab the honour even if England fall at the last hurdle. She was reported to be set for an honorary damehood two years ago before the Lionesses' suffered an agonising defeat in the World Cup final to Spain. Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp all received honours in recognition of the team becoming the first senior England side to reach the final since 1996. According to The Telegraph, failure to reward Wiegman this time around - even if England are defeated in Sunday's showpiece - risks sparking a sexism row, given that Gareth Southgate received a knighthood even after losing the Euro 2024 final with the men's squad. The former England boss was rewarded for services to football in the New Year's Honours list, having stepped down as Three Lions' boss following defeat to Spain. Should Wiegman lead England to glory next week, she will become the first manager of the national team to win two major honours. After England won Euro 2022, the 55-year-old was made CBE on the UK's overseas list with the permission of the Dutch government. She was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for leading her native Netherlands to Euro 2017, which she followed up by reaching the final of the 2019 World Cup. According to the Telegraph's report, several members of the playing squad are also set to be recognised should the Lionesses prevail in Switzerland. Skipper Leah Williamson could see her OBE after Euro 2022 upgraded to a CBE. The news follows England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final win over Italy on Tuesday night which came courtesy of late goals from Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly at the end of regulation and extra time.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Is this a movie?' - England overcome odds to reach final
There is a saying that "cats have nine lives" - but the Lionesses seem to have an infinite number at Euro were written off following a poor opening-game defeat by France, they stepped up in a must-win match against the Netherlands, came from 2-0 down in their quarter-final victory over Sweden and made it through a penalty shootout where they had four spot-kicks then, seemingly down and out with seconds left in their semi-final with Italy, they turned things around to seal a 2-1 win in extra time to book their place in a third straight major was chaotic, everything was dramatic and everything was, typically, late."We're going to make a movie some day! Well, this is a movie, my goodness, it's unbelievable," manager Sarina Wiegman told BBC Radio 5 Live. Retirements and withdrawals overshadow build-up England's resilience and their ability to overcome adversity have been recurring themes on their route to the Euro 2025 before arriving in Switzerland they had to deal with all the talk should have been about the Lionesses' defence of their European title and how they would get out of a difficult group, it was distractions off the pitch that dominated Wiegman's squad announcement on 5 June, she had two senior international retirements and the withdrawal of her World Cup captain to contend Mary Earps announced her shock retirement on 27 May, midfielder Fran Kirby followed suit a week later, and on the eve of Wiegman's squad announcement, Millie Bright made herself unavailable for selection for the Euros, saying she is unable to "give 100% mentally or physically".There was a combined 217 caps between the three and Wiegman had to insist there was "no crisis" heading into the tournament despite the unsettling there was enough experience was questioned - Hannah Hampton was the only capped goalkeeper in the squad, while two senior leaders in Earps and Bright were not travelling to Switzerland."It's a challenging period for the group," England record goalscorer Ellen White told BBC Radio 5 Live before the tournament. A rollercoaster group campaign Getting out of the group stage was always going to be easier said than heavyweights France and 2017 winners the Netherlands among England's opponents, optimism was would need to get off to a strong start against France - but it did not go to plan.A 2-1 defeat at Stadion Letzigrund followed as England's leaky defence was exposed in brutal were outpaced and outplayed as the Lionesses became the first reigning champions to lose their first game at the following tournament of a women's the game, Wiegman said her side were "bullied all over the pitch" and "looked like we've never played together". But when the pressure was on, England they lost to the Netherlands, their tournament would have been over, but instead they kept their Euro 2025 hopes alive with an impressive 4-0 win over the James starred and scored twice, with Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone also on the scoresheet as Wiegman's tactical tweaks paid days later, England got the confidence-booster they needed and secured their quarter-final spot with an emphatic 6-1 victory win over Wales."There have been many days this tournament where we could have been going home," Georgia Stanway said after the match. "To be staying a few more days is something we can be proud of." Comeback queens against the Swedes Finishing second in Group D meant England faced Sweden in the quarter-finals, avoiding old rivals Germany and going into the opposite side of the draw to 2023 World Cup winners that was a good thing?But Sweden were the in-form team, winning all three of their group games and conceding only once along the way - less than any other 25 minutes, England were 2-0 down and on the ropes. Experienced defender Lucy Bronze and 19-year-old forward Michelle Agyemang both scored in the final 11 minutes to force extra time in Zurich.A breathtaking penalty shootout followed - with Sweden twice failing to convert when it would have sealed victory for them - and England limped over the line to complete the comeback."At least three times I thought we were out," Wiegman said after the game."I don't know why, but this team is just incredible. They stick together. They do whatever is necessary to turn around a result like we did. "It is so impressive and I'm just really proud to be a part of this team." Squad rallies after racial abuse Two days before England's Euro 2025 semi-final, defender Jess Carter revealed she had been the target of racist abuse during the tournament, overshadowing the build-up to the Lionesses released a joint statement and said they would stop the anti-racism gesture of taking a knee before matches "to find another way to tackle racism".The head of football's international anti-discrimination body, Fare, questioned England's decision to stop performing what it considers a "powerful anti-racist act", but Wiegman backed her players' choice, saying the "impact was not good enough".Wiegman left Carter out of the starting XI - her first change in four matches - with Esme Morgan slotting was named as a substitute and sections of the crowd at Stade de Geneve sang her name and applauded in the 16th minute in support. A fantasy movie - the Italian job But England's biggest scare came in Tuesday's semi-final win over opponents were the underdogs - sitting eight places below England in the world rankings, and competing in their first semi-final since were seeking a third straight final and Wiegman was hoping to reach a fifth successive major final as manager. However, Italy did not read the script as they took a shock lead in Geneva through Barbara Bonansea in the first half. England looked out of ideas and only Hampton's double save prevented it from becoming 2-0 late on. And then Wiegman's substitutes worked their magic yet again - Agyemang scoring a stoppage-time equaliser, before Kelly hit the winner in described it as a movie and, if this was one, Kelly said it would be a fantasy - something you could not make up and something that was was one of the coolest heads in Stade de Geneve even after she sliced a corner straight into the side-netting deep in stoppage time and then saw her penalty she reacted quicker than anyone else, sprinting to poke the rebound over the line, beating team-mate Ella Toone to the ball, before gesturing to the crowd to "chill out" with her had it covered all matchwinner in the 119th minute was the latest goal scored at a women's Agyemang's equaliser at 95:01 minutes, was England's latest goal on record in normal time of a Euros."I thought in the 88th minute 'we do have to score now otherwise we'll have a problem and we'll have to fly home tomorrow'," said Wiegman."Then I saw we had seven minutes [of stoppage time] and we had time to create another chance. The clock kept ticking and we had to keep going. The team never gives up."Having made it this far, England believe they can jump the final will be world champions Spain or Euro 2022 runners-up Germany up next - but this is England."Getting to three major finals in a row and getting to the Euros final again shows what this team is made of. We fight to the end," said defender Bronze."It probably wasn't our best performance again but it just shows the fight that we have and the talent that we have got. It was a rollercoaster of emotions."
The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Who is Hannah Hampton? England goalkeeping hero filling Mary Earps' gloves at Euro 2025
Hannah Hampton puffs out her cheeks as she considers the magnitude of what came before. Mary Earps left big gloves to fill; the England goalkeeper, who not just won the Euros and was twice named the best in the world, but who changed goalkeeping and inspired a generation. 'I've got to just go and live up to her legacy,' Hampton says. The Lionesses have a new No 1 at Euro 2025. Hampton has been England's starting goalkeeper for all four matches so far in Switzerland, and would have been even if Earps had made Sarina Wiegman 's squad. Earps' shock decision to retire before the tournament, though, naturally increased the spotlight on Hampton, but she silenced any remaining doubters with her heroic display in the penalty shoot-out triumph against Sweden in the quarter-finals on Thursday, with a number of key saves during the match before two stops in the shoot-out drama. Yet if there was always attention on the goalkeeper, with nowhere to hide, the noise around Earps' retirement only added to the scrutiny. But Hampton also won her place. At 24, she is coming off a hugely successful club season with Chelsea where she played almost every minute of their unbeaten treble-winning domestic campaign. Upon arriving at Chelsea, Sonia Bompastor made Hampton her No 1, a decision also reached by Wiegman in April when she told her goalkeepers their roles for the Euros. It was only Earps' decision to quit, at 32, that was the surprise, not the confirmation Hampton would be replacing her between the posts. Rewind a few years, however, and even Hampton admits that this would have been an unexpected outcome. Hampton was part of England's squad at the last Euros but was dropped by Wiegman after the tournament amid reports of her behaviour and attitude at camp. At 21, Hampton was left out by her club Aston Villa, too, while the negative headlines and stories circulating made her want to quit completely. She didn't, and instead put her head down. It wasn't the first time Hampton had found motivation by proving people wrong, either. She was born with a squint, and as a child underwent several corrective procedures on her eyes. Doctors told her that she couldn't play football and then said to her parents that she wouldn't be able to become a professional. To this day, Hampton does not have depth perception, but has still made it to the highest level of the game. 'I'm sat here right now,' Hampton says. 'I think I can say that I've proved people wrong.' Hampton is a modern goalkeeper, and both Wiegman and Bompastor have been impressed by her abilities on the ball in building from the back as well as her shot-stopping. An upbringing in Spain, where Hampton lived from the age of five until just before her 11th birthday, perhaps helped lay the foundations of a versatile game. She played as a striker at Villarreal's academy, and remained an outfielder upon her family's return to England. The choice to turn to goalkeeper, as it often is, was a random one, filling in at a time of need and discovering a natural talent. It would not be until Earps' rise from self-doubting back-up to Lionesses star and England fan-favourite that goalkeeping became cool: at Lionesses games, it can often appear that there are as many children wearing England goalkeeper tops as the standard outfield home kit. Many of them, too, have Earps' name on the back. Even as Hampton now takes over, it is a lasting mark of what Earps achieved and there is gratitude for how she raised the bar for her profession. 'I think there's been quite a bit of scrutiny that she probably doesn't deserve with everything that she's achieved in the game and putting women's goalkeeping on the map for the younger generation inspiring to now be a goalkeeper,' Hampton says. 'It was never really a thing, and Mary's changed that. There's so many more young boys and girls taking part in goalkeeping, which was never the case when I was growing up.' Her impact is undeniable, but Earps was still accused in some quarters of putting herself above her country: an injury to Hampton or an unexpected suspension would have left the Lionesses with either the uncapped Khiara Keating or Anna Moorhouse in goal during the Euros. It has deprived England of an influential character in the squad, too, at a time when the defending champions will also be without a key leader in vice-captain Millie Bright – missing the tournament as she battles mental and physical burnout. Hampton, though, can offer nothing but praise. She sent Earps a message to congratulate her on an 'unbelievable' international career, adding that she wasn't expecting to receive one in return. 'I think that's all I really can do,' she shrugs. Beth Mead, sitting alongside Hampton during England's pre-Euros media day at St George's Park, reaffirms that she will have the support of the squad. 'Ultimately, Hannah just needs to play each game at a time, enjoy her football,' Mead says. 'She's there for a reason.' Hampton endured a shaky start to the quarter-final against Sweden but then made a few key stops, keeping England in the game at 2-0 down. And in the nerve-jangling shoot-out, she made two vital saves as the Lionesses eventually emerged victorious. The defending champions now face Italy in the semi-finals on Tuesday. But if the comparisons to Earps are still inevitable, Hampton is more aware than anyone of the role she now has to play and the path there is to follow. 'We're gonna miss her as a person here,' Hampton says. 'She's a big personality in this team and she glued us all together at times when we needed to be. I think it's been difficult for everyone to come to terms with what her decision is, but we have to respect that.' Hampton pauses. 'And yeah, now I've got to just go and live up to her legacy. I'll give it my best shot for sure.'
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Leah Williamson channelling memories of 2022 for Sweden
Group C winners Sweden are the first of potentially three games that stand between this year's Lionesses and another title to bring back home and Williamson revealed the fire within still burns bright. Sweden were England's semi-final opponents back in 2022, with a stunning 4-0 win booking their place in the showpiece. 'We're all in the same boat and that's what drives me on,' said Williamson. 'To do it alongside the team in 2022 was special. I was part of that squad and I'm forever proud to be part of it but we don't want it to be the only one. 'We want it to be more, you always want to do more. On that day I felt as happy as I've ever felt and that would've been enough for me. 'But the next day it creeps around and everyone wants more.' A changing of the guard has since taken place between those halcyon days at Wembley, with Mary Earps, Fran Kirby and Rachel Daly retiring from international duty, Ellen White and Jill Scott exiting the professional game altogether. Millie Bright has also withdrawn from this summer's tournament to prioritise her physical and mental recovery. While they may no longer be part of the changing room, their presence is keenly felt within the corridors of England's base in Zurich's Dolder Grand Hotel, not least thanks to a WhatsApp group. 'It's mostly just good luck and well done or we believe in you',' answered Williamson when asked what conversations are like in the chat. 'When players have been part of a set-up, especially ones who aren't necessarily here and those players are still in the group chat and for whatever reason, for them to reinforce their belief in the team and wanting to be part of it speaks volumes of the group. 'The group chat was originally created for the celebrations so every time it pops up it isn't a bad thing. 'Most group chats we all archive or mute at different points but not that one. 'We're very tame. I wish we had more banter but that's not going to come from me!'
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mary Earps On Stepping Back, Showing Up And Making Goalkeeping Cool
Mary Earps, the ex-England goalkeeper, has had a massive impact on women's football in the UK. ... More (Photo by Justin Setterfield - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) For over a decade, Mary Earps has followed a routine: training, playing, recovering. Rinse, repeat. 'I don't think I've ever had more than 12 days off consecutively,' she says. 'The football schedule is crazy hectic.' This summer, though, has been different. Following her recent decision to call time on her England career, goalkeeper Earps is embracing a new chapter in her life – giving her mind and body a much-needed break and making up for lost time with loved ones. 'This is my first time in a while not preparing for a major tournament. So, it's been a different kind of summer,' she tells me. '[Being a footballer]Earps had been part of the England setup since 2008 through the youth teams and played eight years for the senior side, the Lionesses, from 2017 to 2025. A key member of their Euro 2022-winning team, she earned 53 senior caps. Her decision to retire five weeks out from the Women's Euro 2025 surprised fans and critics alike. She even felt 'villainized', but the 32-year-old knew it was the right decision at that time. Now, watching the Lionesses on a TV screen or from the stands at the Euro 2025 stadiums in Switzerland, Earps is experiencing the game from a new perspective. 'I can watch from a different angle, really enjoy and support the girls in a different way,' she said. 'I've been keeping in touch with them and chatting a little bit. These are girls with whom I've got some unbelievable memories, I've grown up with… I've seen these girls more than I've seen my own family in recent years. So, I'm just filled with a lot of pride.' Using Her Platform For Women's Sports Earps collaborated with Rexona on a women's sports visibility campaign. A strong advocate for women's sports, Earps is also using her 'time off' to work with brands that align with her goals. One such is the deodorant label Rexona – also known as Degree, Sure or Shield, depending on the country you're in. Rexona and Earps are collaborating to promote the visibility of women's sports and encourage more girls to play football. 'I'm really happy that I've been able to have the time to do activations like the Play on Pitch with Rexona and bridge that gap between elite performance and grassroots… get to feel the excitement of it and see how much it means to people who support the game. Because we're all working together to try and achieve the same goal,' she said. Trying to show up in as many women's sports spaces as possible is one of her goals. She attended the women's singles final at Wimbledon, the England vs Wales match at the Women's Euro, and hopes to be part of the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup and ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. Earps believes that all women's sports have similar barriers and 'we can all help, learn and elevate each other'. 'It's all about standing on each other's shoulders, continuing to push women's sports into a more incredible place,' she added. 'I keep saying that women's sports is a high-speed train that isn't stopping any time soon. So, you either have to get on or get out. I'm happy to be a small part of that journey.' Making Goalkeeping Cool Earps, 32, is unapologetically herself. (Photo by) Back home in England, Earps has had a massive impact on the growth of the women's game. Apart from her Euro 2022 winner's medal, Earps also has the Golden Glove from the 2023 World Cup and two FIFA Best Goalkeeper awards in her trophy cabinet. For Earps, though, it has never just been about personal accolades. Part of her mission has been shifting the perception of goalkeepers, both on and off the pitch. In 2023, she publicly questioned sportswear giant Nike over the unavailability of her replica jersey during the Women's World Cup, sparking widespread debate around goalkeeper visibility in the women's game. A petition that gathered more than 170,000 signatures pushed Nike to eventually release the shirt. 'A big part of what I do is trying to make goalkeeping cool, and that's something that I'm really proud of,' she said. Goalkeepers have long been overlooked in the sport's commercial space, with most marketing efforts focused on 'the sexy strikers,' as Earps has put it. But she believes the narrative is beginning to shift. 'You can see how the marketing world and the world in general have changed in terms of how they look at goalkeeping. It's a very highly criticized position, that comes with a job, but you can see from a player's point of view, goalkeepers are being involved in campaigns about visibility. 'Representation matters so much. You can't be what you can't see. For me, to be part of this campaign with Sure alongside Lucy Bronze, Alexia Putellas, two incredible players, I think just shows you hopefully where goalkeeping is going and that the perception is changing. 'It's really important that young girls and boys look at TV marketing campaigns, billboards or social media, and they see someone who looks like them.' What's Next With PSG PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 29: Mary Earps of Paris Saint-Germain takes a selfie for spectators ... More following the Perth International Football Cup match between West Ham United and Paris Saint-Germain at HBF Park on August 29, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by) While Earps has stepped away from international duty, she remains firmly in the thick of club football, preparing for her second season with PSG in France's Division 1 Féminine. In July 2024, she took the bold decision of ending her five-year journey with Man United and signed for the Parisian club, reportedly becoming the world's highest-paid women's goalkeeper. Ending the last season with a runners-up medal – after PSG were beaten by Lyon in the final – Earps wants to push for silverware in the 2025-26 campaign. 'First and foremost, I want to win. I want to win trophies. Hopefully, we can have a good Champions League campaign…. But, I think what I'm most proud of from the last season is my ability to step out of my comfort zone and make a bold decision to move (to France) and how I felt that that really improved my game,' she said. 'I'm looking to kick on another level next season. I'm really enjoying my time at PSG so far. I hope I can continue that into my second season because the first season's always a bit of a transition.'
