Mary Earps Opens Up on Feeling "Unjustly" Dropped from England Squad
So, this story about Mary Earps — it’s quite an emotional one. The former England goalkeeper, who’s been such a key figure in the Lionesses’ rise, has opened up about how deeply hurt she felt when she was replaced by Hannah Hampton as England’s number one. And hearing her side of the story really gives us a sense of the personal weight that came with that change.
Earps, who helped England lift the Euro 2022 title and later starred at the 2023 World Cup, shared her thoughts in her new autobiography All In , which is set to be released next week. In it, she reveals that when coach Sarina Wiegman decided to bring Hampton back into the England squad after she’d been dropped for being “disruptive and unreliable,” Earps wasn’t exactly comfortable with that decision. She said she even told Wiegman directly that she felt “bad behaviour was being rewarded.”
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Now, this wasn’t just about competition for a spot — for Earps, it went deeper than that. She talked about wanting to protect the positive energy and trust that had built up in the goalkeeping group. After all, team chemistry can make or break a dressing room, and for her, that unity had become something worth defending.
Still, despite her concerns, Hampton returned to the squad and eventually became England’s first-choice keeper for Euro 2025, playing a massive role as the team went on to retain their title. But for Earps, it was hard to accept. She wrote that when she was told she would no longer be the starting goalkeeper, “it felt unjust.” She described that moment vividly — her eyes welling up, the sense that everything she’d poured into the team was suddenly slipping away.
After years of giving everything for England, being named FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper and even saving a penalty in the 2023 World Cup final, this decision felt like a betrayal of trust. She said the bond she had with Wiegman and the faith she had in the system were slowly eroding. Eventually, in April 2025, she was told she was no longer England’s main starter — a moment she says made her heart sink but also brought a strange kind of relief because it gave her clarity.
Earps ultimately decided to retire from international football, saying she wanted to leave on her own terms rather than stay in an environment that no longer aligned with her values. Even after being asked to reconsider, she stood by her decision.
Interestingly, despite all that happened, Earps has since reached out to Hampton, saying she holds no grudges and wished her well. She called her a “very good goalkeeper” and admitted she just wanted to move on.
It’s a powerful reminder of the emotional toll that comes with elite sport — the sacrifices, the shifting dynamics, and the difficult choices that come with staying true to yourself, even when the world around you changes.
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