Mary Earps, the acclaimed goalkeeper who played a pivotal role in England's Euro 2022 victory, will not be participating in the Euro 2025 tournament. Her absence is due to her recent retirement from international football, which she announced in May 2025, just weeks before the start of the tournament.
Earps, at 32 years old, stated that she felt it was the right moment to step aside and provide opportunities for the younger generation. She expressed that this was a difficult decision that she had been contemplating for a long time. Although retiring from international duty, Earps will continue to play for her club, Paris Saint-Germain.
Her announcement came as a shock to many, considering her significant contributions to the Lionesses' success in recent years. Earps was named goalkeeper of the tournament at both the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also received the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2023.
Earps' journey with the England national team was marked by resilience and determination. After being excluded from the squad in 2019, she contemplated retirement. However, the appointment of Sarina Wiegman as England's manager in September 2021 reignited her international career. Earps went on to become an integral part of the team, playing every minute of England's Euro 2022 campaign and the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Wiegman acknowledged Earps' decision and expressed her disappointment. She confirmed that she wanted Earps in her squad alongside Hannah Hampton but could not convince Earps to travel to Switzerland as England's No. 2. Wiegman also said that she had a couple of conversations with Earps, which she did not want to share publicly, but emphasized that she cherishes the incredible journey they had together.
Prior to her retirement announcement, Earps had to withdraw from the England squad due to a hip injury sustained during a Euro 2025 qualifying match against France in June 2024. The injury forced her off the field early in the game, and she was later seen on crutches. At the time, Wiegman said that the injury was not too serious and expected Earps to be back in the next camp.
With Earps' retirement, Hannah Hampton is expected to take over as England's first-choice goalkeeper for Euro 2025. Despite Hampton's domestic success, she lacks major tournament experience, which some see as a potential risk.
Earps' departure marks the end of an era for the Lionesses. Her contributions to the team extended beyond her goalkeeping abilities. She inspired many with her award acceptance speeches and successfully campaigned for the sale of women's goalkeeper replica shirts. Former England goalkeeper Carly Telford acknowledged that Earps' retirement is a huge loss in terms of experience but insisted that she retains huge respect for her fellow goalkeeper and that the goalkeeper union is in a much better place because of her.
