Mary Earps has never needed help finding a storyline. On Friday night, the script writes itself.
A new season, a new badge on her chest, and a familiar crest staring back at her. London City Lionesses against Manchester United. The club where she became England’s number one, where she lifted an FA Cup, where she walked out at Old Trafford to roars that still echo. Now, at 33, she stands on the brink of a WSL return that feels, in her own words, “meant to be”.
From Old Trafford icon to London City leader
Earps spent five seasons at United, making more than 100 appearances and anchoring the side as they claimed their first major trophy in 2024. During that spell she rose to the very top of the women’s game: twice named Fifa’s goalkeeper of the year, the last line of defence in England’s Euro 2022 triumph and their run to the 2023 World Cup final.
Those performances pushed her beyond the pitch. BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023. A mural on the wall outside Old Trafford. One of the most recognisable and influential players in the country.
The spotlight, though, burned hot. Last November, her book triggered controversy and dominated headlines for weeks. Yet when she returned to Old Trafford with Paris St-Germain in the Women’s Champions League last season, the reception cut through the noise.
“I got a nice reception at Old Trafford and it meant a great deal to me at that time,” she told BBC Sport. United had changed since she left. The affection from the stands had not. “I know the fans don’t change – they are still as hardcore as ever.”
She left with memories and medals: an FA Cup, a historic trophy, and a bond with a fanbase that refused to fade.
Paris, perspective and a step away from the storm
When Earps swapped Manchester for Paris, the move was about more than a new league. She wanted Champions League football. She wanted trophies. She also wanted a break from the relentless intensity of being at the heart of English football.
At PSG she played 22 times in the Première Ligue last season, settled into a new city and embraced a different rhythm of life.
“PSG is a great club,” she said. The Parc des Princes, the food, the language, the Parisian way of life – it all gave her something she needed. Space.
“I’m an intense person, especially when I’m on the pitch, so it was good for me to be able to take a period of reflection away from the craziness in England.”
The attention inevitably followed her across the Channel when her book came out, but the distance softened the glare. She talks about that time with gratitude, not regret. She went to Paris to push herself out of her comfort zone, and she did.
Drawn back by the WSL roar
When her contract expired, the pull of home grew louder. Earps missed the noise, the edge, the crackle of English crowds.
“I missed the English football culture – the way you feel when you walk into a stadium, the electricity of the crowd, the feeling around women’s football in this country,” she said. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
So she chose London City Lionesses, a club with serious ambition and a squad that underlines it. Earps arrives as one of several marquee additions, joining two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and Spain defender Mapi Leon in a dressing room suddenly rich with star power.
This is not a gentle landing. It is a statement.
A World Cup winner in a goalkeeping battle
Her name alone does not guarantee the number-one shirt. Earps started both of London City’s last two pre-season games, but she walks into a genuine contest with Elene Lete, who impressed last season.
“The reality of it is that I’ve been here a few weeks and I’m trying to earn my place in the team every single day,” Earps said. “Elene did a great job last year and it won’t be easy between us to see who starts.”
There is no hint of entitlement. Just a fierce competitor, relishing the standard around her. “I just want to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully that is playing a lot of games and being a part of their history in some small way.”
For a goalkeeper who has stood on every major stage the women’s game can offer, the hunger remains obvious.
International goodbye, club ambitions still burning
Earps announced her retirement from international football in 2025, closing a chapter that had defined a generation of Lionesses. That decision, though, was not a curtain call on her career.
She has signed a two-year deal with London City and speaks like someone who sees more growth ahead, not less.
“I want to continue to play at the highest level, to win at the highest level for as long as possible and to be a part of something special,” she said. London City, she believes, can deliver that. “They want to be the best in class and world-leading.”
It fits neatly with how she has always framed her own standards: a daily drive to be the best version of herself, as a player and a person. She is blunt about the day she will walk away – the moment she feels she cannot learn any more, she will stop. She is not close to that point.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give and hopefully there’s some fantastic days around the corner. I’m really looking forward to this chapter.”
On Friday, under the lights, against the club that helped turn her into a star, that chapter truly begins. The mural still stands at Old Trafford. The cheers will come from a different end now.
