Mary Earps has picked a fight that she isn’t going to win

It was supposed to be one of the only versions of elite sport that somehow eschewed competitiveness in favour of, one can only suppose, lots of hand-holding and wishing each other well. This was, of course, all total rubbish.

The release of an extract this week from Mary Earps’s forthcoming biography, All In, serialised in the Guardian, has lifted the lid on one very specific personal vendetta that has been rumbling away behind the scenes over the past couple of years. Namely between Earps and another member of the much-lauded “goalkeepers’ union”, Hannah Hampton.

For those who have steered clear of the internal politics of the England women’s football team, here is a quick recap. Mary Earps, also known as “Sweary Mary”, “Mary Queen of Stops”, “Public Embarrasser of Nike (which is handy when you are an Adidas athlete even if that brand was doing the same thing)”, became a darling of English football back in 2022 when she helped England win something for the first time in for ever.

Her starring role as first-choice goalkeeper was something of a surprise even to Earps herself, who up until that point had been a competent but unexceptional player. Elevated by the head coach Sarina Wiegman, Earps grabbed her chance with both hands, winning the award for The Best Fifa Goalkeeper in 2022 and 2023.

Some would say that the twilight of your international career is something that should be enjoyed with grace and humility, but that is apparently not Earps’s style. Just weeks before Euro 2025 got under way, Earps unexpectedly announced her international retirement. Given Wiegman’s increasing preference for Hampton, it was not hard to piece together what exactly might have happened to cause such a decision from “Mary Queen of Strops”.

All In confirms that Earps made the decision after Wiegman told her that she would not be her No 1 for the tournament. Earps said it would not have aligned with her “morals and values” to continue playing for her country, which is a lofty way of saying: “If I don’t get what I want, I’m going to leave you in the lurch.”

Earps’s international retirement meant that Hampton was the only England goalkeeper at the Euros who owned an international cap.

Behind all of this is the petty truth that Earps and Hampton clearly do not get along.

Hampton has had her own issues in the past. She was dropped by Wiegman in 2022, reportedly for attitude issues. She was also left out of the squad by Aston Villa for a game against Chelsea, only to turn up in the stands at Kingsmeadow. Earps is vague about what exactly Hampton was doing, only saying that her “behaviour behind the scenes at the Euros [in 2022] had frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources”. She describes the behaviour as “disruptive”, “unreliable”, and “with a risk of being destructive”.

Regardless of what actually happened, Hampton was 21 years old during those Euros. After some time away from the England set-up, she was reintegrated. Wiegman is not someone who suffers fools lightly. She clearly felt happy that Hampton had done enough personal development to be trusted with the No 1 shirt. The pay-off from that decision is the European trophy England won earlier this year.

The decision from Earps to air so much dirty laundry about both Hampton and Wiegman is baffling. Book sales will undoubtedly be an obvious benefit, given the rarity of a footballer saying something controversial in them. The problem is there is a reason for that – it doesn’t make anyone look good.

Retired from international football and now out of sight and out of mind in France at Paris Saint-Germain, Earps looks like a desperate child trying to squeeze out some last ounces of attention. Meanwhile, Hampton is one of the favourites to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year – an award Earps herself won back in 2023 – and front and centre of the best team in the Women’s Super League.

Yesterday, Chelsea fans standing behind Hampton’s goal sang “She’s better than Earps” as she kept a third consecutive clean sheet in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over London City Lionesses. Her manager, Sonia Bompastor, defended her vigorously after the game.

“Since I joined Chelsea, Hannah has grown so much,” Bompastor said. “She’s such a professional athlete and also a good person. I want to show her my support.

“If you look at what Hannah said in her previous comments about Mary Earps, then what Mary is saying about her now – one of them is class, and Hannah is the class one.”

Bompastor also defended her fellow manager Wiegman from Earps’s criticism in the book.

“I want to raise my voice for Sarina. When you use some words about someone who won the Euros three times in a row, you should probably think about it before you speak.”

Bompastor’s comments surely echo the vast majority of opinions on the topic. Regardless of what happened behind closed doors, it is hard to understand how Earps thinks this makes her look better. Criticising a former team-mate, a much-adored manager, and confirming that you need to leave your nation in the lurch on the eve of an international tournament is not endearing. Earps has picked a fight that she isn’t going to win.

Photograph by BBC/Madeline Penfold