Mary Earps: Being dropped for Hannah Hampton ‘felt unjust’, says former England keeper
But Earps writes in his autobiography, All In, due out next week, and excerpts of which were published in the Guardian,, external He said he “didn’t feel comfortable” with Hampton’s recall following the “disharmony the team felt before.”
“I felt protective of the good energy we had in goalkeeper training and the morale of the team,” he explained. “Bad behavior is rewarded.”
Earps remains England’s number one at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where she was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, saving a penalty in the final as her team lost 1-0 to Spain.
But Hampton began getting more opportunities in 2024, and when he surrendered the starting spot, Earps admitted: “It wasn’t fair. My eyes filled with tears.”
“It was a choice that went against my core values. My affinity for Sarina and this job – a job to which I had given every fiber of my body – was being destroyed, and my trust and respect were evaporating.”
In April 2025, Wiegman told the Paris St-Germain goalkeeper that he was no longer considered a top five player in England.
“I felt the weight of my heart sink to the ground and the relief I felt at finally having clarity lift off my shoulders,” Earps wrote.
He announced his retirement from international football in June as Euro 2025 approached.
Earps said her initial decision was not accepted and she agreed to think more about it before ending her career as a lioness (a decision she now regrets).
Hampton, now 24, played all six games at the Euros, saving two penalties in the decisive shootout against Spain in the final.
One Separate interview with the Guardian, externalEarps did not want to go into further detail about the “destructive behavior” but added: “He’s a very good goalkeeper and I tried to draw a line under all of that. I texted him privately saying ‘look, there’s no bad blood.'”
