From hero to villain: Mary Earps returns to Manchester United with her Lionesses legacy in tatters after Hannah Hampton and Sarina Wiegman criticism

The most headline-grabbing topic from Earps' book, and subsequent interviews, has been Hampton, who usurped her to become England's No.1 ahead of Euro 2025. After Euro 2022, Hampton was dropped from the England squad by Wiegman, with the Guardian citing 'her behaviour and attitude at the team’s camps' as the reason. It's something Earps has referred to again in her book, claiming that "bad behaviour" was "rewarded" when Wiegman decided to bring Hampton back into camps a few months later, despite the England boss explaining that the goalkeeper had "sorted out" the "personal issues" that had kept her away.

At the time she was left out of the Lionesses' squad, Hampton was 21 years old. It's clear that she went away and addressed whatever the issue was enough to satisfy not only Wiegman - an incredibly successful manager who it's hard to believe would stand for any sort of disruptive behaviour - but also Emma Hayes, who signed her to be Chelsea's No.1 not long after.

"The only thing I want to say about Hannah is that, since I joined Chelsea, she has grown so much," Sonia Bompastor, Hayes' successor, said when asked about Earps' comments. "She’s such a professional athlete and also a good person. We have a really good relationship together and I want to show her my support in this situation. If you look at what Hannah said in the previous comments about Mary Earps then what Mary is saying about her now, one of them is class - and Hannah is the class one."

Wiegman, Hayes and Bompastor are three of the most successful and well-respected coaches of this era. It's hard to believe that any of them - never mind all three of them - would have Hampton as their first-choice goalkeeper if she was disruptive and detrimental to an environment. It's also worth noting that when asked for specific examples of Hampton's 'bad behaviour' in an interview with the Guardian, Earps said: "I don’t want to go into the specifics because it’s not my place."

When talking about positive comments about Earps made by Hampton, Bompastor was referring to an interview with Glamour earlier in the week, in which Hampton spoke about being on stage alongside Earps to receive the first-ever Women's Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.

"It was a lovely moment," she said. “She’d pushed so much for that award and she pushed for the women’s game and for women’s goalkeepers to be seen and recognised. Everything she’s done for the England game and women’s football in general is something I’ve wanted to continue and build on. I’ve got big shoes and big gloves to fill. I’m trying my hardest. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the standard she was at, but it was a lovely thing that she was able to be there."

Compare that to comments made by Earps in her book and one certainly comes out looking much better than the other. The positivity in those remarks from Hampton have likely only made fans feel more inclined to go in to bat for her on social media, too. The internet has been bursting with support for the current England No.1, just months after she starred in the Lionesses' Euro 2025 triumph.

The timing of it all has only added to criticism of Earps. To speak of Hampton like this so soon after being ousted as the Lionesses' No.1 by her has, quite frankly, come across as bitter.

It's not helped by Earps' recollection of the moment she decided to retire from international football, either. That decision was called out by many at the time as a selfish act, one which left England with only one capped goalkeeper going into the Euros. While giving out experience to other shot-stoppers is not Earps' responsibility, Wiegman clearly felt she could count on her to be there to back-up Hampton. However, after being told she would be second in the pecking order, Earps called time on her Lionesses career.

“I’d like to graciously step aside," she told Wiegman, according to an extract in the Guardian from 'All In'. "I’d rather Khiara [Keating] get the experience." Keating was uncapped and just 21 years old going into the Euros, with little opportunity to play before the tournament given how close to its kick-off Earps' decision came. The 32-year-old, meanwhile, had the experience to bolster that goalkeeping union as Wiegman wanted, but Earps clearly didn't want to assume any role other than that of No.1.

"I think we had different ideas of what being a team-mate should be," she said when pressed further by the Guardian about issues with Hampton. However, when recalling her decision to retire, she hardly portrays herself as the ideal.

How Earps speaks about Wiegman in this passage of her book is also incredibly sad, given it was the ex-Netherlands boss who brought her out of the international wilderness and gave her the platform to become a Lionesses icon. To the surprise of many, after starting for England in a monumental friendly against Germany at Wembley in November 2019, Earps would never be called up again by then-head coach Phil Neville, and it had been almost two years since she had been involved when Wiegman included her in her first England squad, in September 2021.

From there, the goalkeeper blossomed into an assured and often outstanding No.1, enjoying her biggest moments at Euro 2022 and the 2023 Women's World Cup. Wiegman trusted her wholeheartedly. Yet, in her book, as Earps recalls the moment she was told Hampton would be England's No.1 at the Euros, a decision Wiegman says she and her staff had "only just made" when they told her in April of this year, Earps writes: "That sounded like bullsh*t to me."

It's no wonder Bompastor, when offering words of support for Hampton, also felt compelled to stand up for Wiegman, too: “I just feel like with what I read in terms of comments coming from Mary Earps, it is not acceptable not to show respect to your team-mate or your manager. We are talking about Hannah but I am also raising my voice for Sarina. I just think when you use some words saying something about someone who won the European Championship three times in a row, you should probably think about it before you speak."

Did Earps not think this would be the reaction as she released high-profile criticism of a player and a coach who are both incredibly popular across the nation? Her social media posts suggest not, but it's hard to see how she thought these comments, and this timing, was ever a good idea or how it would ever show her in a good light.

It's a shame, too, because, as Earps notes, there are a lot of things that she has discussed in her book that are powerful and eye-opening. She discusses her battle to have replica goalkeeper shirts on sale, sexuality, depression, a drinking problem, eating issues and much more. In moments she does, too, give out praise, though not to a degree that will satisfy everyone.

Yet, when combined with the shock and intrigue her retirement caused, it is an extract focusing on what is hardly a warm relationship with Hampton, her selfish reaction to the loss of the England No.1 shirt and her criticism of Wiegman's handling of the matter that was always going to overshadow everything else.

When GOAL spoke to Earps last month, she talked about her upcoming return to Manchester United, which she will make with Paris Saint-Germain when the two face off in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Wednesday. "I never really got an opportunity to say goodbye, so I'm looking forward to it," she said, having departed the club after the season had ended and her contract had expired.

It's not the only return to England that was expected to come in the near future as, upon the announcement of her international retirement, the Football Association (FA) had committed to giving Earps "a full tribute" at one of the Lionesses' fixtures after the Euros. November 29, before England's friendly with China at Wembley, was a date proposed to the goalkeeper, but she was unable to accept the invitation, with discussions ongoing about a more suitable date.

It was anticipated that, for both games, Earps would be greeted with an incredible reception. As well as enjoying an iconic stint as England's No.1, she played a key role at United for five years, culminating in winning the Red Devils' first-ever major trophy on the women's side, in the FA Cup final. She departed as a very popular player and person.

What about now? Social media has been full-to-bursting with disappointed and angry fans who feel Earps' words are unnecessary and poorly timed, and that she has tarnished a legacy that, until this point, was certainly one to be celebrated. When the former England goalkeeper steps foot back on home soil, in a stadium full of supporters with varying intensities of fandom, perhaps it will become more obviously apparent just how much damage she has done. For now, it's clear that she is never going to be revered in the same way again.