Mary Earps’ autobiography has captured media attention, as have many moments of her career with the Lionesses. From her penalty save in the World Cup final, to her statement of disappointment at Nike not selling her shirt for the tournament, to winning Sports Personality of the Year, Earps has had many historical moments within Lionesses’ recent history, and she has never shied away from using her voice for good. Her autobiography, All In, is no different and I will delve into some of the key takeaways from her book.
HARD WORK, COMMITMENT AND RESILIENCE ARE AT THE CENTRE OF EARPS’ LIFE – AND HER BOOK
All In has a unique structure that I haven’t noticed before, where each chapter is the title of a message or lesson from Earps’ life.’ The autobiography begins with Earps discussing her childhood and the lessons she learnt from an early age. She describes growing up in Nottingham, and thanks her parents for how they always helped her to work towards her dreams wherever they could.
She paints a picture of a very busy childhood, where she tried out many different activities, but eventually discovered her love for football and more specifically, goalkeeping. Her commitment, dedication and hard work are made evident from a very early age. She even describes how her parents instilled in her at an early age that if she had previously committed to an activity or training, she had to honour that commitment.
She also walks the reader through her journey at Loughborough University, where she graduated with a 2:1 in Business. This came after 4 years of balancing a football career alongside full-time study and a year in industry. Earps was constantly aware of the possibility that football could disappear from her at any time, and then her university exams would then really matter.
She also speaks openly about times in her childhood and teenage years where she struggled to fit in and was bullied in school. However, she frames these as experiences that made her the resilient athlete she is today and presents joining Wolfsburg and later Manchester United as pivotal moments where she made friends for life for one of the first times.
EARPS’ PERSONAL LIFE AND HER UNIQUE VOICE
In All In, Earps discusses some of the challenges she has faced in her life for the first time publicly, such as her relationship with alcohol as well as body image. She also goes into detail about her relationship with her partner Kitty, which she hasn’t done publicly before, and how she knew following the Euro 2022 victory that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.
Earps goes into detail about how she struggled to deal with public perceptions of her after Euro 2022 and having to adapt to a life in the public eye, which she hadn’t experienced before. She describes imposter syndrome in a way that I found striking:
“People like to say it’s imposter syndrome. That’s what they want us to believe as women, and as female athletes. That we don’t know how to sit in the product of our own success because we don’t, or shouldn’t, believe we have a right to it. It wasn’t that, in fact, I don’t buy into imposter syndrome. I think it’s another tool used to keep us in our box.”
This is just one example of the frankness that Earps writes with throughout her book and she doesn’t shy away from writing about the lows and struggles that came with the Lionesses’ victory too, as well as the incredible highs and progress in the game.
BECOMING ‘MARY QUEEN OF STOPS’
One of the most significant talking points just before All In was released was Earps’ comments on Hannah Hampton, a standout member of England’s Euro 2025 winning squad. Earps writes that Hampton’s behaviour was considered ‘disruptive’ during the Euro 2022 tournament and that this wasn’t an opinion that only she held. She writes about a day where the entire squad reflected on the successes and areas of improvement within the tournament and says that the disruption Hampton caused was an improvement point that came up consistently in the feedback.
However, throughout Earps’ discussion of her career with the Lionesses, Earps is complimentary of the environment that Sarina Wiegman created when she first took on the role as Head Coach. She describes at length the conversations that she had with Wiegman and how much trust and faith was placed in her as England’s first choice keeper. She also highlights the vulnerability that she was able to have in conversations with Wiegman and her staff and how significant this was in developing a relationship based on honest and trust.
When she discusses her international retirement, Earps’ ‘core values’, which she refers to throughout All In, are something she mentions as a very significant element of her decision. She writes about her decision in detail and presents her perspective on several England camps leading up to her retirement, where she felt she was gradually phased out of the squad and wasn’t treated in the ways she wanted to be.
She reveals for the first time that she had told Sarina Wiegman that she was going to retire, before temporarily agreeing to stay, after Wiegman expressed her disappointment at her decision and asked her to stay.
It is important to state that we currently have only one perspective on the exact circumstances of Earps’ departure, however, she reiterates that her final day at England camp didn’t end on bad terms. She writes that her and Wiegman agreed that although they would never see eye to eye on the situation, their relationship remains positive, and that she was supported by her former teammates in her decision. She doesn’t hesitate to express how emotional she was when retiring from England and how much of an honour representing her country on the biggest stage was.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BOOK
Earps herself wrote, in a statement that stood out to me:
“I had always wanted my goalkeeping and contribution to matter, ever since football broke my heart.”
This feels like the perfect summary of how Earps has written All In. Her autobiography is a reminder of just how much her goalkeeping mattered both on and off the pitch, as she was a key figure both in England’s Euro 2022 success and the momentum to propel the game forward that followed the tournament.
Earps candidly dives into her professional and personal journey to where she is today, playing for Paris St-Germain and every hurdle that Earps overcame to reach the heights of her unforgettable success, and she doesn’t shy away from speaking openly about the highs of her career, as well as the darkest moments.
