Mary Earps has become an integral part of the England machine as the Lionesses progress through the group stages of the Women's European Championships. But she has come a long way to get to this point after being dropped by previous manager Phil Neville.
From fearing that she would never be given the chance to represent her country, Earps is thrilled to be back in the squad. She told Lionesses Live: "It’s been a crazy, crazy year! I’ve spoken about it a little bit, but I didn’t anticipate ever being in an England shirt again so I try to make the most of every single day in camp."
She added: "I’m so grateful for the ups and downs that I’ve had and the journey that I’ve been on because I think it’s made me a stronger person and a stronger player. I’m even more grateful for every single time I get to kick a ball wearing the shirt.” But where did it all start?
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How old is Mary Earps?
Mary Earps is 29 years old. She was born on the March 7, 1993 and comes from Nottingham.
Who does Mary Earps play for?
When she isn't wearing an England shirt, Earps plays as a goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Women's Super League. After joining in 2019, she made her debut in the number 27 shirt against Manchester City.
Her football career started at a young age and prior to joining United, she played for Bristol Academy, Birmingham City, Doncaster Belles, Reading, and at Wolfsburg in Germany.
When did Mary Earps make her England debut?
Mary Earps has played for England since she was a youngster, earning caps as part of the under-17, under-19 and under-23 teams. She landed her first senior cap in 2017 against Switzerland, where she kept a clean sheet as the Lionesses celebrated a 4-0 victory.
She was dropped from the international squad by then-manager Phil Neville, a move that left Earps questioning whether it was the end of her international career. "I was very much sort of thinking, ‘Yeah, this is probably internationally the end of the road for me’, I was quite open and honest about that," she said.
The arrival of Sarina Wiegman as England’s head coach reignited her international career and she's continued to impress, including throughout England's 8-0 romp against Norway.
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