Safia Middleton-Patel steals show for Man Utd despite Mary Earps return
While Middleton-Patel stole the show at the end of the night, the focus was on the Earps before kickoff.
The mural of the Earps painted outside Old Trafford following his exploits with England at Euro 2022 carried an ironic “Welcome to Manchester” message as he took to the pitch in his opponent’s colors in the pouring northern rain.
She was a hero to many during her time at United and played a key role in the club’s first FA Cup victory and rise up the Women’s Super League table.
This time he was a football hater, arriving in a cloud of controversy and booed when his name was read by the stadium announcer.
More boos came as he touched the ball, mixed with cheers from the faithful, until eventually he earned the praise of the Old Trafford crowd by applauding them in full-time as he walked through the stands and received a warm welcome in return.
PSG boss Paulo Cesar said afterwards: “A large part of the public is very interested in seeing Mary play. I am very happy to have a player like her in our team.”
“The fans here were clearly behind him. Maybe not in the beginning but by the end of the game his quality shone through.
“He had a great performance today and gave the team confidence. I’m very happy with him.”
Skinner said in his pre-match media conference that United fans expected the Earps to make life difficult as rivals but hoped he would receive the respect he earned during his five-year spell at the club before leaving in 2024.
As he walked off the field to the cheers of the home fans and the embraces of his former teammates, the controversy of the past two weeks over his book seemed like a distant memory.
“It was nice. I finally told her to take care of herself. Mary is a really smart woman and the best in the world so she understands that,” Skinner said.
“It was a lovely atmosphere and he got a cheer when he came down at the end of the game and hopefully that helps him and the situation he’s in and how he’s feeling.
“Mary and I would always be on friendly terms after the game because she was a big part of what we did and we should never forget that.”
