Mary Earps has joined London City Lionesses on a free transfer.
Guess who’s back in England, and a Lioness once again… though not the variety you might expect…
Former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Mary Earps – one of the country’s most recognisable and influential footballers of the last decade – has returned to the BWSL after an absence of two years.
The 33 year old becomes the latest signing for London City Lionesses, joining Eder Maestre’s side on a xx-year deal.
Earps’ contract with Paris St-Germain came to an end on 1 June, just two days after the Nottingham-born stopper watched the club’s 1-0 play-off defeat against Paris FC from the bench, and she returned to England as a free agent.
PSG finished third in the Premiere Ligue this season and Earps made 22 appearances for the French side, keeping 12 clean sheets. Now, she joins an ambitious London City side keen to build on their sixth-place finish in their debut season in the top flight.
Earps was a popular figure when she was last in England. She spent five years at Manchester United and made 102 appearances, helping the Reds win the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, their first major trophy, in 2024.
Earps then joined PSG that summer and made 54 appearances in total, including a return to Old Trafford in the Champions League that was met by a mixed reception from the United faithful.
Yet it was with England that Earps rose to prominence and found her best form, winning UEFA Euro 2022, the Finalissima and then forming part of the back line that took England to the World Cup final a year later, where they were beaten by Spain.
She made a series of crucial saves in 2022; then famously danced on the table at the media conference after the Final. She was the spot-kick hero in the penalty shoot-out against Brazil at Wembley to help England win the first ever UEFA Women’s Finalissima, and again in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final against Spain - though on that occasion she had to settle for a runners-up medal.
In total, Earps kept 26 clean sheets in 53 caps, and her performances earned her some of the game’s most prestigious individual accolades, including the Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper at the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup.
She was also named Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper in 2022 and 2023, BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023 and was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to football.
Word credit: Nick Judd
