- 686 Comments
Just five weeks before the Lionesses begin their European Championship defense in Switzerland, England goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her shock retirement from international football.
The 32-year-old, who was recently replaced by Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton, had a significant impact on the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory.
Earps class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> also class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> won class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> the class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> 2023 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Women’s class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Finalissima class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> with class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> her class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> country class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> before class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> helping class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> England class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> reach class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> the class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> women’s class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> World class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Cup class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> final, class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> making class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> 53 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> senior class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> appearances class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> over class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> the class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> course class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> of class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> eight class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> years.
In response to the news, England manager Sarina Wiegman said, “I had hoped that Mary [Earps] would play an important role in the squad this summer, so of course I am disappointed.”
Earps remarked, “This is the right time to step aside and give the younger generation a chance to thrive.”
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.
“I wish I could do it everlasting, but sadly, all good things must end,” he said.
Earps won the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the 2023 World Cup, which was held in Australia and New Zealand, to become a BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023.
In 2022 and 2023, she also received the Best Fifa Goalkeeper award.
This isn’t a simple goodbye, she said, “right before a major tournament,” because my journey has never been the simplest.
“I am aware that this is the wise course of action.” This decision has so many aspects, none of which are particularly important at this time.
I’m looking forward to watching them this summer because this is a new era and a new England team.
You can trust that I would not be doing this unless I thought it was the right thing to do, even if it hurts, as I know, some of you may not understand.
Earps has called for change in women’s football on numerous occasions.
She sued Nike in 2023 after the kit manufacturer failed to produce any replica England goalkeeper shirts prior to the World Cup that year, which she referred to as “hugely hurtful.”
Analysis: “No one saw the coming decision.”
This announcement has shocked the women’s football world because Euro 2025 is taking place in five weeks.
Nobody expected it to happen, and Wiegman’s quotes suggest that she might have been surprised by it.
Earps and Chelsea’s Hampton have been competing for the top spot in the England squad this year, and it appeared as though the England manager had lost.
Hampton has received the nod in goal in the past three England games, including a crucial 1-0 win over Spain at Wembley in February, which is unquestionably the main reason for Earps’ sudden decision.
She has a history of being Wiegman’s main woman, having played every match of England’s previous two major competitions and previously served as vice-captain in 2023.
Earps must have known that her role was changing because this is a new one for the Lionesses right now.
She will be missed because of her significant contributions to raising the profile of the women’s game in England, both through her performances over the past three years in particular and through her contributions to raising the profile of the game.
Earps is one of the most well-known female footballers in the country, having won numerous awards for her achievements, including challenging Nike to produce shirts with her name on the back and highlighting mental health at the Fifa Best Awards in her victory speech.
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.
Long list of honors
Since joining Leicester City in 2009-2010, Earps has enjoyed a trophy-filled career.
The goalkeeper won a German league and cup double with Wolfsburg in 2018-19 before lifting the FA Women’s Cup with Manchester United from 2023-24, in addition to her significant honors with England.
Earps defeated cricketer Stuart Broad and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson to become the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2022-23, winning the latter with the Golden Glove.
In 2023 and 2024, Earps was also named a member of the Fifpro women’s World XI team.
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.
related subjects
- Women’s Football Team England
- Football
- Women’s Football
Source: BBC
Leave a Reply