Mary Earps has spilled the beans on her decision to retire from international football, and it's a right kick in the teeth for Sarina Wiegman and Hannah Hampton.
Mary Earps' international retirement: The role of Wiegman and Hampton
The Paris Saint-Germain keeper, who won Euro 2022 with the England women's team and a bunch of individual awards, including two FIFA Women's Goalkeeper gongs and the BBC Sport's Personality of the Year, has now revealed the real reason behind her retirement.
In her new autobiography 'All In', Earps claims that Hampton was dropped after Euro 2022 for 'bad behaviour'. She writes: "Her behaviour behind the scenes at the Euros had frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources."
Earps also claims that Wiegman reintroduced Hampton to the squad and attempted to swiftly put the matter to bed, saying: "This has been dealt with, and it's not appropriate to speak about one individual any more."
The former Manchester United shot stopper says she told staff that she felt uncomfortable with the decision and said that it would affect her performances at the 2023 World Cup.
Hampton becomes England No.1, Earps retires
But by the time the next tournament rolled around in 2025, Hampton was the new No.1 and helped get revenge on Spain with a stunning performance to win the shoot-out in the final.
Yet for Earps, it wasn't as simple as being out-performed, as she was told she'd lost her spot for some friendlies in April 2024 and hit back, saying: "I don't get it. It's a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded."
Ahead of the 2025 Euros, Earps was then told that Hampton would be No.1 in a meeting that left her feeling 'sick and anxious'. And when she told Wiegman she could've been more 'direct and honest', the Dutch coach called the comments 'unfair'.
But there was another bombshell to come, as Earps recalls saying: "It doesn't align with my morals and values to continue. I'd like to graciously step aside. I'd rather Khiara [Keating] get the experience. I've had my time in the sun."
Earps claims that Wiegman was shocked by the retirement decision, and later called her asking her to reconsider. Earps did just that, but says she quickly regretted it and 'felt trapped', then called Wiegman to confirm her retirement, which became headline news ahead of England's successful Euro 2025 campaign.
This whole situation is a right mess, and it's a shame to see a player of Earps' quality retire from international football in such a way. But it's clear that there were some serious issues behind the scenes, and it's hard to see how this could have been resolved any other way.
It's a shame that Earps felt she had to retire, but it's also a shame that Hampton's behaviour was allowed to continue unchecked for so long. It's a situation that reflects poorly on everyone involved, and it's a real kick in the teeth for the beautiful game.
