Mary Earps' shock England retirement is a bitter blow to the Lionesses Euros hopes - no wonder Sarina Wiegman is 'angry' with her former No.1

The most obvious reason why this hurts the Lionesses is Earps' talent. It's been a difficult first season for the 32-year-old at Paris Saint-Germain, with the French club enduring a truly awful campaign that ended without a trophy and without a manager. Amid that, Earps has come in for criticism at times. 'Could she have saved that?' 'Should she have done better there?' Those are questions that have been asked online on occasion, but it's generally been a solid campaign that hasn't featured any sort of significant drop-off in level.

She's reiterated that point when given the chance with England, too. As the Lionesses held the United States to a goalless draw at Wembley back in November, Earps was the star of the show, making a number of superb saves to preserve an impressive clean sheet. While Hampton was starting to creep up on her in the race to be No.1, that performance was a reminder of why Wiegman has trusted Earps throughout her tenure.

That has led to her accruing major experience in moments of the highest pressure. Recalled by the Dutchwoman after finding herself in international wilderness under Phil Neville, Earps' quality shone as England won Euro 2022, so much so that she was named to the Team of the Tournament and won The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper award.

A year later, that quality took centre stage again in the Lionesses' historic run to the World Cup final. There, despite a 1-0 defeat to Spain, Earps made a huge penalty save to keep her team in the game and, while she couldn't collect a winners' medal at full-time, she did pick up the Golden Glove award. After that, more accolades followed, including the retainment of that FIFA award and the honour of being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

This is a goalkeeper who steps up in the big moments. Even if she wasn't going to be Wiegman's No.1 this summer, the experience she could have brought to the table would have been invaluable to the squad, and to a player in Hampton who, while talented and experienced in her own right, is set to be a starter at a major tournament for the first time.

Plus, injuries and suspensions can happen, players can fall ill or can experience serious drop-offs in form. There is absolutely no guarantee that Hampton will be there, able to start, when England kick-off their Euros campaign on July 5 against France. And if she is, what's to stop something else happening after that whistle is blown? What if she has to bring down a player who is bearing down on goal and a red card is brandished? There is a reason why back-up goalkeepers exist and why it is extremely common to see them used almost every week in this unpredictable sport.

Earps' retirement means that there are few that will hope none of the above happens more than Wiegman, because the options that sit behind Hampton are by no means proven. Sure, Anna Moorhouse was superb for the Orlando Pride last season, helping the U.S. club win the NWSL Shield and Championship, and Khiara Keating is one of the most exciting shot-stoppers in the England set-up. But they don't even have a senior cap between them.

Indeed, after this news, there is an argument to be made that Hampton is now the Lionesses' most important player - and quite easily, too.

That's got to frustrate Wiegman. "I had hoped that Mary would play an important role within the squad this summer, so of course I am disappointed," she said on Tuesday, before adding: "Mary has been clear on her reasons why she has made the decision and it is something we need to accept."

Further to that, the Telegraph reported that the England boss was "angered" by Earps' decision, which was told to her international team-mates in an "awkward meeting" on Monday. It was the timing in particular, the report said, that frustrated Wiegman, who has little opportunity to address that lack of experienced depth in the goalkeeper position at this point.

England will play three more games before the Euros - two crucial Nations League games against Portugal and Spain, which the Lionesses have to win to make the finals of the competition, and a pre-Euros friendly against Jamaica.

The good news is that the No.1 spot is in good hands. Hampton has been excellent for England as of late and she has plenty of experience at a very high level for her club which can make up for her lack thereof with the Lionesses. This past season, she excelled for a Chelsea team that won a domestic treble and reached the Champions League semi-finals. She knows what it takes to be a top, top goalkeeper and that is why Wiegman has placed her trust in her. Plus, the 24-year-old was in the squads for Euro 2022 and the 2023 Women's World Cup, and thus has first-hand experience of what it takes on this stage, even if it's not as a starter.

There is a lot of experience in this England squad overall as well. Taking Earps out of it doesn't dent that too much, not when there are players like Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Leah Williamson in there, to name just three. If Wiegman wants to add a bit more to her goalkeeping department, Ellie Roebuck might find herself on the brink of a recall, too. The former Manchester City star dropped out of the picture last season, having found herself out-of-favour at club level before then dealing with the impact of a type of stroke, but she's been regularly involved in Barcelona's squads this season and has 11 caps to her name.

But it's an understatement to say this situation is far from ideal for England, for Wiegman and for the Lionesses' European title defence. In Earps, they lose a top-quality goalkeeper who was going to provide a necessary high level back-up option; they lose one of the most popular members of the squad, whose personality will be missed massively in a dressing room set for a very stressful and intense month in Switzerland; and they lose an incredibly experienced leader who could provide guidance for those in her playing position this summer or elsewhere.

Earps will get her well-deserved send-off later this year, once the Euros is out of the way. Then, the fond memories will come into focus, the incredible moments she provided for her country will be replayed over and over and the status she holds among the Lionesses' greatest-ever players will be acknowledged.

Right now, though, it's hard not to focus on what a precarious position this leaves England in, right in the middle of their final preparations for this summer's tournament. It's also hard not to question why Earps didn't feel she could hang on for just a few weeks more, as this timing must be difficult for players, staff and fans to stomach.

Those are not the feelings and thoughts that one wants to have when a player as great as Earps calls time on her international career. Yet, that is the reaction so many have had to what is a truly shocking announcement.