During the UEFA Women’s Euros in 2022 and the Women’s World Cup in 2023, Mary Earps proved her talent through some of the most incredible performances that helped guide the Lionesses to glory. Her powerful career and impressive collection of personal accolades truly demonstrate the dedication that she puts into the game, however some people may be unaware of the journey it took for her to write her name in the history books.
Born in Nottingham, Earps first kindled her love in goal at the age of 10, playing for West Bridgford Colts. Not only did she explore her passion for football, Earps also took part in other sports such as badminton, swimming and gained herself a junior black belt in judo. She says that it was beneficial to participate in different sports as it “helped build my confidence” and allowed her to find what she truly loved.
From the age of 16, Mary Earps was juggling multiple part-time jobs to have enough money to pay for petrol when playing for Doncaster Belles. She worked a low paid job at the cinema, in a toy shop, two coaching jobs as well as working for her dad’s company. When speaking on Jill Scott’s podcast she explored how:
“that summer I was just moving on to my A-Levels … I had quite a few jobs to pay for my boots and petrol basically”.
She completed her A-Levels and went on to graduate from Loughborough University with a 2:1 degree in Information Management and Business Studies. It wasn’t until the end of her time at university that she truly believed that she could take her career to a professional level. At this point she decided to put all of her effort into getting there, as she no longer had to balance football and education.
Mary Earps spoke with the BBC in relation to their Children In Need ‘The Heaviest Backpack’ campaign with the initiative to shed light on the anxieties and struggles that are weighing young children down. Earps discussed her story starting secondary school, and her experience with bullying.
“I think, definitely in my early teens, that was probably the time that I realised I was carrying some things in my backpack.”
She highlighted that she:
“had a lot of instances where I didn’t understand, maybe, why things were happening in a certain way. And definitely experienced bullying. 100%”.
Women In Sport found that 4 in 10 girls who used to be sporty have disengaged from the sport as a result of feelings of judgement, lower confidence, and lack of self belief. Mary Earps opening up about her personal experiences has allowed fans to resonate to her personally, significantly advocating her famous quote:
“this is for anyone who has ever been in a dark place. Just know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”
After all, if they can see it, they can be it.
Earps made her WSL debut at 17 years old, playing for Doncaster Belles. She had previously played for Leicester at the age of 14 and Nottingham Forest at 16, as well as Bristol Academy. In 2019, she joined Manchester United, making a spectacular total appearances of 125. Her time at the club has now come to an end, as she announced her departure from the reds as a result of her contract expiring at the end of the 23/24 season. Within her departure post on instagram, Earps reflects:
“[she] is proud to have played every league minute for the badge for the past 5 seasons, and even more proud of us as a team to have broken the record of the most clean sheets kept in a season in 2023.”
She monumentally finished her journey as a red with a glorious win at Wembley. After winning 4-0 against Tottenham, Manchester United took the Women’s FA Cup home. This was even more of a significant achievement because of their heartbreaking 1-0 loss against Chelsea last year. United made history, beating Chelsea 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village, with a historical save made by Earps sending them straight into the FA Cup final, which they soared through with a win.
Earps has now joined Paris Saint-Germain F.C. on a two-year contract deal until June 2026, keeping her established number 27.
Like all footballers, Earps’ career hasn’t been all glory and winning. In 2020, she was very close to quitting football as a whole. This was a result of being dropped from the England squad by the manager at the time, Phil Neville. Within the Euros documentary, she touched on her feelings of getting:
“to a point where I had sort of reached my limits.”
This all changed when Sarina Wiegman was appointed the Lionesses manager and it changed her life. In 2021, Wiegman instantly changed Earps’ career for the better. Earps credits that Wiegman:
“really understood where [she] came from” and that she “can’t really express how much [Sarina] has changed my career really.”
Especially in the European Championship in 2022 and the Women’s World Cup in 2023, we have seen Earps make the most impressive saves that continue to inspire us all.
Specifically, in the World Cup Final when England were 1-0 down against Spain in the 69th minute of the match, and a penalty was awarded to Spain following a handball committed by Keira Walsh. The nation were on the edge of their seats as we watched Jenni Hermoso step up to the penalty spot. However, with a legendary dive to the left hand side, Earps saved the shot with strength and skill. This penalty save has been recognised by the whole nation as iconic and will be written in the history books forever.
Now, as important as it is to recognise the legendary football career she is leading, it is crucial to appreciate the inspiration that she is off the pitch. When presented as Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper 2022, Earps proposed this speech.
“This is for anyone who’s ever been in a dark place. Just know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.“
“Sometimes success looks like this — collecting trophies — sometimes it’s just waking up and putting one step in front of the other.“
“There’s only one of you in the world, and that’s more than good enough. Be unapologetically yourself.”
She has since designed the brand MAE27, which produces items of clothing featuring the inspiring message “be unapologetically yourself”. Acknowledging that through everything, you should always be yourself. This has created a community of people who wear her words of wisdom to hopefully inspire anyone who reads it.
It means a great deal for fans to show their appreciation to players who have shaped the women’s game as we know it today. However, during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, we weren’t able to do that for number one goalkeeper, Mary Earps. Earps publicly expressed her disappointment when Nike refused to sell the England Lionesses goalkeeper shirt, stating:
“I can’t really sugar coat this in any way, so I am not going to try. It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful.”
Determined to support Earps and all female goalkeepers, I set up a petition to stand with them. Knowing that I couldn’t represent Mary, an individual who has inspired me and countless others, was heartbreaking. I knew I had to do something to change that. The petition garnered over 172,000 signatures, demonstrating the overwhelming demand to represent our goalkeepers on the back of our shirts. In response, Nike finally agreed to sell the shirt, which sold out in minutes. We declared victory on May 10, 2024.
Earps has been recognised as FIFA’s World Best Female Goalkeeper for two years running, with a further impressive collection of individual accolades recognising her skill within the game and the impact she had within the Euros 2022. Such awards include BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023, Women’s Football Awards: 2023 World Cup Hero, FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Glove 2023 and Women’s Super League Golden Glove 2022/23.
Mary Earps has shown true dedication from the moment she stepped onto the playing field to the glorious moments in history that she continues to create. She is a remarkable figure who is profoundly shaping the women’s game, inspiring all who encounter her story and the impactful causes she passionately advocates for.
https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2022/Jul/25/mary-earps-grassroots-story-20220725
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/20/mary-earps-angry-england-goalkeeper-shirt-womens-world-cup
