She was in impressive form all tournament - and now a bus through West Bridgford has been named after Mary Earps, the inspiring England goalkeeper who played a crucial role in winning the country's first major tournament silverware since in 1966.
She was born and raised in West Bridgford and bus company trentbarton saw it as a fitting tribute to name the mainline bus after the Lioness star who kept four clean sheets and made a string of important saves in the 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden to reach the final.
Jeff Counsell, trentbarton's managing director, said: “The whole country is rightly enormously impressed by the Lionesses and all they have achieved for women and girls, the women’s game and for the nation’s football supporters. Naming a mainline after Mary shows how proud we are as a local company of a local sporting hero. We hope next time Mary is back visiting friends and family she takes a ride on her bus.”
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Germany took Sarina Wiegman's England side to extra time but Chloe Kelly converted from close range to make it 2-1 and seal the European Championships victory. The Lionesses won in front of a record crowd of more than 87,000 fans in the capital.
Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, Councillor Simon Robinson, said the team had "captured the imagination and the hearts of millions". And he gave a special mention to Nottingham's own.
"We were very proud to see Mary Earps, a former West Bridgford Colts FC player, among those deservedly collecting her winners' medal for all she and the team have achieved," cllr Robinson said. "She is just the latest homegrown superstar from Rushcliffe that highlights why the Borough really is the home to a great place, great lifestyle and great sport.
"We have state-of-the-art sporting facilities including our newly refurbished Gresham Sports Park, which hosts countless clubs and groups for women, men and disabled football that helps to nurture our next generation of national stars."
Born in 1993, 29-year-old Earps played for West Bridgford Colts at grassroots level. From humble beginnings, she had spells playing for Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, German side Wolfsburg - and she's now at Manchester United.
First selected for the England squad in 2017, she found herself third choice in between the sticks at the World Cup of 2019. But through sheer dedication she has since made the No.1 spot her own.
Officials from West Bridgford Colts, where Earps played from the age of nine for three years, said it was clear from the early days that she was going to succeed in the game. A spokesperson said: "Mary loved the game from the first moment she played but in the early years it was as much about fun and friends as it was about football.
"Mary recently commented 'I think everyone loves their first team. I’ve always played in goal and this was the first time I was part of a proper team. And I loved my jersey because it was shiny. All the girls in the team were friends, the parents were friends and we’d go round to each others’ houses'.”
Nottingham Forest Women left a message on their official Facebook page. A statement read: "Dreams to reality. Congratulations to former Forest Women goalkeeper and current Lioness international Mary Earps on winning #WEURO2022.”
People of West Bridgford said the success of the Lionesses would inspire the next generation. Wolves fan Peter Dury, who is 74 and lives in West Bridgford, said: "I was at home and watched it along with the rest of the world, it was superb.
"The game was tremendous. For women’s football, it’s a real step forward and it’s a positive that the BBC have been covering it. Hopefully from this, a lot of young girls will start playing football.”
Retired Linda Navarro, 68, also said the Lionesses had inspired the nation. The West Bridgford resident, who explained she wasn't normally into football, added: “It was a positive game and it wasn’t dirty or aggressive. It was a game we should all be proud of.”
Mum Amanda James watched the game at home with her husband and two sons. And it came as a surprise to the 45-year-old when she realised Earps was originally from the area.
“I had no idea," Ms James said. "It was such a lively game. We got our boys in their England shirts and watched on, it was great. It’s great to see both genders support and celebrate our women but it was especially nice to see men taking the game just as seriously.”
The full-time mum added: “It shows little girls that they can be whoever they want to be. It’s been a good year for English football.” The last time England lifted a major trophy, when the men's team were triumphant in the 1966 World Cup, women were banned from playing competitive football in any form. But in Sunday's victory against the same opponents, on the world stage, the Lionesses have shown just how far the women's game has come.
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