Lionesses and Man Utd goalkeeper Mary Earps loves hilarious newspaper cartoon joking about her England kit battle with Nike

It was decided, ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, that no replica England keeper jersey would be made available for sale. That surprising call was met with fierce backlash from Earps supporters, with the 30-year-old shot-stopper hitting out at what she considered to be commercial “injustice”.

Nike eventually bowed to pressure, with Earps’ shirt selling out once it did hit the shelves. She has become a popular figure, on the back of helping England to European Championship glory in 2022, and is now a winner of FIFA Best and BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

Earps can see the funny side of what became a drawn-out saga, with an image shared on her Instagram account of a cartoon that has her tickled. The picture in question shows a fan in the outfit she wore to the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Award explaining how she “asked for a Mary Earps kit for Christmas”.

Instagram/Jolley

Supporters can now get their hands on that much sought-after commodity, but it remains to be seen how long Earps will be shifting merchandise at Manchester United. She is being heavily linked with a transfer to WSL rivals Arsenal or French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain.