The blowback was always going to be huge.
Either Mary Earps has made a selfish decision based on a demotion or is bowing out at the top of her game. It was always going to be polarising.
Unfortunately for Earps, it’s clear Sarina Wiegman sees it more as the former than the latter.
Wiegman admitted in her brief statement that she’s disappointed with the PSG goalkeeper’s choice. From what I’m told she was more than disappointed, she was annoyed.
Sky Sports Anton Toloui reports on Mary Earps’ shock retirement from international football five weeks ahead of the Euros
The pair have a close relationship after Wiegman made Earps her No 1 after seven years of sitting on the sidelines or being ignored completely by previous coaches.
They’ve been talking about her place in the squad for months after Hannah Hampton was preferred in key Nations League games.
The matter was thought to be dealt with and Earps would be on the plane to Switzerland this summer. Now England go into a major tournament with two uncapped goalkeepers and their No 1 only having played 13 times for her country.
England defender Jess Carter speaks about Mary Earps’ decision to retire as the side’s goalkeeper five weeks ahead of the Euros
Anna Moorhouse has been exceptional since moving to Orlando Pride but will now be thrust into the international limelight. Twenty-year-old Khiara Keating has been in-and-out of the Man City team all season after being ever-present in the WSL the year before.
Wiegman could call Ellie Roebuck back into the reckoning after recovering from a stroke but she’s mainly been a substitute at Barcelona this season.
Washington Spirit’s Sandy MacIver, who has an England cap, has switched allegiances to Scotland and the other options are all too young and inexperienced.
Mary Earps and Khiara Keating at England camp
Say what you want about Earps’ decision to walk away from the Lionesses, it leaves England with a major goalkeeping problem.
The current group is talented but big-game experience is seriously lacking. If Wiegman knew this was even a possibility perhaps she could have used recent matches to give others vital minutes, but we all know England’s head coach is in win-now mode ahead of the summer.
Mary Earps announced her retirement earlier this week
Back up goalkeepers don’t get called into action very often but when they do, they become the most important player in the team.
Earps will know all about it. She was sitting on the bench when Karen Bardsley tore her hamstring tendon off the bone during the 2019 World Cup quarter-final against Norway.
Earps was on the bench that day and in contention to start the semi-final against USA but Phil Neville opted for the experienced Carly Telford instead.
England won’t have that option at this summer’s Euros.
