Mary Earps said England head coach Sarina Wiegman 'rewarded bad behaviour' by restoring goalkeeper Hannah Hampton to squad

In an excerpt from her upcoming autobiography, former England goalkeeper Mary Earps explained she told Sarina Wiegman that Hannah Hampton's return to the Lionesses squad was "bad behaviour being rewarded." The 32-year-old retired made a shock decision to retire from international duty after Hampton had usurped her as England's No. 1 choice between the sticks.

Mary Earps says she told England head coach Sarina Wiegman that she was rewarding "bad behaviour" when recalling Hannah Hampton to the squad.

Former England goalkeeper Earps, who retired from international duty suddenly in May this year ahead of the Euros, has revealed tensions within the Lionesses camp in her upcoming autobiography.

Earps was England's No. 1 for their triumphant Euros success in 2022 and played every game.

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Hampton was dropped soon after the Euros but returned to the squad in 2023.

Earps writes that Hampton's "behaviour behind the scenes at the Euros had frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources."

Hampton's appearance in a Euro 2025 qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland was her first competitive start for the Lionesses' in over two years, and led to Earps dramatically retiring a month later.

"I think we had different ideas of what being a teammate should be. I think there was a mismatch, a misalignment, of values," Earps said.

"I don’t want to go into the specifics because it’s not my place...She is a very good goalkeeper and I’ve tried to draw a line under all that. I have messaged her privately to say: ‘Look, no bad blood.’"

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And when Wiegman revealed to Earp she planned to play Hampton in a Euros qualifier, she shared her frustration.

"I don’t get it," Earps says she told Wiegman. "It’s a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded."

Wiegman spoke to Earps before bringing Hampton back into the fold, and Earps wrote that the decision "doesn’t make me feel comfortable," and admitted she felt "protective of the good energy" that was being cultivated in goalkeeper training, along with wider team morale.

Earps revealed that following a team meeting in April 2024, Wiegman asked for a word with the keeper in front of everyone, to talk about her reluctance to see Hampton restored to the squad.

"That was unusual and I felt embarrassed being singled out," Earps wrote. "I didn’t know if it was intentional or if it was her way of making an example of me. I hoped it wasn’t, but, like at school, when you’re asked to stay behind you tend to know exactly what’s coming. And you know that the fact you had been called back is going to be the talk of the town. I hated that.

"'What have I done?' I asked, genuinely wanting to understand this energy shift. I felt devastated before anyone else had even uttered a word."

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Wiegman confirmed she wanted to "give someone else experience," and Earps said her eyes began to well with tears as she reckoned with a choice that "went against my core values."

"I couldn’t get my head around it because when my values were compromised, the strain always felt heavy enough to keep me up at night. When this kind of a decision compromised my football, I was sleepless.

"The affinity I had for Sarina and this job – one I’d given every last cell of myself to – was being destroyed, the trust and respect evaporating."

It was another conversation in April 2025 with Wiegman where the England head coach admitted that Hampton was first in line for the goalkeeping position, and a back and forth between Earps, Wiegman, and goalkeeping coach Darren Ward led to the 32-year-old deciding to end her international career.

"It doesn’t align with my morals and values to continue," she said. "I’d like to graciously step aside. I’d rather Khiara [Keating, the Manchester City goalkeeper] get the experience. I’ve had my time in the sun."

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