Mary Earps: From Manchester United Icon to London City Lioness
Mary Earps has never been one to tiptoe into a new chapter. She prefers a spotlight, a storyline, a bit of theatre. On Friday night, she might get all three.
The new London City Lionesses goalkeeper could make her debut against Manchester United, the club where she became England’s number one, a double Fifa goalkeeper of the year and a household name. She calls it “meant to be”. It feels like football’s scriptwriters agree.
From Old Trafford icon to Lioness in London
Earps spent five seasons at United, more than 100 appearances, an FA Cup, and the club’s first major trophy in 2024. Those years turned her from solid WSL keeper into one of the most recognisable figures in English sport.
She stood behind England’s back line during Euro 2022 glory and again on the run to the 2023 World Cup final. Awards followed: BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, global acclaim, a mural outside Old Trafford. For a goalkeeper, that’s rare air.
“United has changed a lot since I left, but I spent five wonderful years there and I made amazing memories,” she told BBC Sport. The affection runs deep. So does the respect. “I know the fans don't change – they are still as hardcore as ever.”
Last season, when she returned with Paris St-Germain in the Women’s Champions League, Old Trafford welcomed her with warmth. “I got a nice reception at Old Trafford and it meant a great deal to me at that time,” she said. The mural remains on the stadium wall. The bond clearly hasn’t faded.
Paris, perspective and a step out of the storm
When she left United, Earps wanted two things: Champions League football and trophies. PSG offered both, along with something less tangible but just as valuable – distance.
Two years in Paris, 22 league appearances, and a different kind of life.
“PSG is a great club. Getting to experience the Parc des Princes, the French food, the Parisian way of life and the language – I think it was good for me,” she said. “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.”
She needed that space. Last November, her book sparked controversy and dominated headlines in England for weeks. The attention spiked again, not always for the reasons any player would choose. Paris gave her room to breathe.
“I'm grateful for all the amazing love and support that I've had over the years, but it was nice to be away,” she admitted. Then came the key line: “I went away to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
The experiment worked. But when her PSG contract expired, the pull of home grew stronger.
Drawn back by WSL electricity
Earps speaks about English football like someone who has been starved of it.
“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. “Of course, there's always things that you miss. I'm very, very happy to be home.”
She knew that leaving would come at a cost. “I knew I was probably going to miss that going away which is why I'm so excited to be back. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
Now she returns not in United red but in London City blue, part of an ambitious project that has turned heads across the game.
A star among stars – but no guarantees
London City have gone big. Earps arrives alongside two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and Spain defender Mapi Leon. It is a statement of intent, a squad being built not just to survive in the WSL but to disrupt it.
Yet Earps knows reputation doesn’t guarantee a place. She has started both of London City’s last two pre-season games, but she walks into a genuine contest. Elene Lete impressed last season and will not give up the number one shirt easily.
“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. I think that is another great thing about being part of a fantastic squad.”
There’s no hint of entitlement in her words. Just competition. Just standards.
“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.”
International curtain call, club fire still burning
Earps stepped away from international duty in 2025, closing a chapter that defined a golden period for the Lionesses. She has not, though, lost any appetite for the weekly grind of club football.
She has signed a two-year deal with London City and talks like someone who sees growth, not decline, ahead of her.
“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. “I really do believe that London City will go on to do great things for a long time. They want to be the best in class and world-leading.”
That ambition mirrors her own.
“That is something that I'm always pushing to be – to be the best version of myself as a player and a person every day. It's a great place to be for me to max out on whatever potential I have left. The moment that I don't think I can learn any more, I won't continue to play.”
For now, she feels far from finished. “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.”
The next page could start at Leigh Sports Village on Friday night, against the club that made her a star, in a league she calls home. A new badge on her chest, the same defiance in goal.
If this is the beginning of London City’s rise, how fitting would it be if it starts with Mary Earps, once again, under the brightest of English lights?
