When Mary Earps quit the Lionesses right before the Euros, the story seemed simple. England’s star goalkeeper had lost her starting spot to Hannah Hampton — so she walked. It looked like a career decision, nothing more.
But in her new autobiography All In, Earps reveals that the truth was way more complicated and emotional than anyone realised.
Credit: Instagram/@maryearps
This is what we saw back then
In 2022, Earps was on top of the world. She’d just helped England win the Euros and was named the best goalkeeper in the world — twice. Hampton was her young understudy, and after the tournament, she was dropped from the squad over what were described at the time as “attitude issues”.
When she was called back in 2023, the public story was redemption: Hampton had grown up, Wiegman believed in second chances, and everything in the England squad looked calm.
Then, in April 2024, Wiegman picked Hampton to start a Euro qualifier. It looked from the outside like squad rotation — normal football business. Weeks later, Earps left the national team. Most people assumed she’d just been benched and didn’t take it well.
Credit: Instagram/@maryearps
Here’s what really happened, according to Earps
In All In, Earps writes that she’d actually been breaking down behind the scenes. She claims Hampton’s “disruptive behaviour” during the Euros had been so bad it “risked derailing training sessions and team resources”. So when Wiegman brought her back, Earps felt betrayed.
She reveals she told Wiegman she wasn’t happy with negative actions being encouraged, and when Hampton started that qualifier, Earps confronted her boss directly. “It’s a qualifier match,” she said. “And bad behaviour is being rewarded.”
But the most shocking revelations go beyond football. Earps says she suffered panic attacks on matchdays, spent nights crying alone in her hotel room, and even struggled with suicidal thoughts during lockdown.
“There were definitely conversations in my head that I wish didn’t happen,” she admits.
She also accuses Wiegman of avoiding hard truths. When she was finally dropped, Earps says she was told Hampton was just “a little bit ahead” — even though she’d done nothing wrong. Wiegman’s explanation “sounded like bulls**t”, she writes.
Earps insists she didn’t leave because she was replaced, but because she couldn’t stay in an environment that no longer felt honest. “It would’ve been easier to stay and take the medal,” she says. “But it wouldn’t have been authentic.”
Credit: Instagram/@maryearps
There’s since been a lot of backlash
Now, Chelsea women’s manager Sonia Bompastor has hit back at Mary Earps: “It’s more about respect. With what I read in terms of the comments coming from Mary Earps, it’s not acceptable to not show respect to your team-mates or managers. We are talking about Hannah, but also I want to raise my voice for Sarina.
“When you use some words saying something about someone who won the Euros three times in a row, you should probably think about it before you speak. Hannah has been fine with us and all the club – myself, the staff and the players – are all behind her.”
Earps has called the backlash “gut-wrenching” but says she stands by her honesty, in a new Instagram story: “Things have escalated really quickly today, women pitted against each other. It’s gut-wrenching to be portrayed as someone you’re not.
“I know that the negative is what gets clicks, but it’s sad that that’s the only thing being discussed – I also said some really positive things and gave credit where it’s due.”
The Tab has reached out to Hannah Hampton for comment.
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Featured image credit: Instagram/@maryearps, @_hannahhampton
