Mary Earps Returns to Women's Super League with London City Lionesses
Mary Earps has never been one for quiet entrances.
On Friday night, under the lights and the cameras and the noise, the 33-year-old could walk back into the Women’s Super League not just with a new badge on her chest, but staring straight at the club that defined the peak of her career. London City Lionesses against Manchester United. Earps against her past. It feels scripted. She thinks so too.
“It was meant to be,” she admitted to BBC Sport, knowing full well how football likes its storylines.
From Old Trafford icon to London City leader
Earps’ five seasons at United reshaped her life. She arrived as a talented goalkeeper; she left as England’s number one, a two-time Fifa Best goalkeeper, and the face of a generation-defining Lionesses side.
More than 100 appearances. An FA Cup. The club’s first major trophy in 2024. A mural on the wall outside Old Trafford. That kind of imprint doesn’t fade.
“United has changed a lot since I left,” she said. “But I spent five wonderful years there and I made amazing memories. I won an FA Cup and met a lot of incredible people. I know the fans don’t change – they are still as hardcore as ever.”
The bond was obvious when she returned with Paris St-Germain in the Women’s Champions League last season. Old Trafford rose for her. A warm ovation for a player whose book had dominated headlines and stirred controversy only weeks earlier. The debate raged; the appreciation in the stands did not.
She had, by then, already helped England to Euro 2022 glory and carried them to the 2023 World Cup final. The accolades followed: BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, a status that pushed her beyond the sport and into the national conversation. One of the most recognisable athletes in the country. One of the most influential.
And then she left.
Parisian pause from the English glare
Earps walked away from United in search of something English football couldn’t offer her at that moment: regular Champions League football and a fresh challenge. PSG gave her both. Twenty-two appearances in the French top flight last season, nights at the Parc des Princes, and a different kind of pressure.
“I’m grateful for all the amazing love and support that I’ve had over the years, but it was nice to be away,” she said.
Paris gave her space. Space from the constant scrutiny. Space from the noise around the national team and the book. Space from being Mary Earps, headline and lightning rod.
“PSG is a great club. Getting to experience the Parc des Princes, the French food, the Parisian way of life and the language – I think it was good for me.
“I’m an intense person, especially when I’m on the pitch, so it was good for me to be able to take a period of reflection away from the craziness in England.
“But that being said, I’m incredibly grateful for this platform that I’ve been given so it’s not a complaint. I went away to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
She did that. Then the contract ended, and the pull of home grew stronger.
Drawn back by the WSL roar
Some things you can’t replicate. The WSL’s crackle before kick-off. The songs, the banners, the sense that women’s football in England is still hurtling forward and you either hang on or get left behind.
“Of course, there’s always things that you miss. I’m very, very happy to be home,” Earps said.
“I missed the English football culture – the way you feel when you walk into a stadium, the electricity of the crowd, the feeling around women’s football in this country.
“I knew I was probably going to miss that going away which is why I’m so excited to be back. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
London City moved. Ambitiously. Earps arrived as part of a summer that turned heads, joining two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and Spain defender Mapi Leon. A club that once looked like a project now feels like a statement.
Earps has already started the last two pre-season games. Even so, nothing is guaranteed. Elene Lete impressed last season and will not hand over the gloves.
“The reality of it is that I’ve been here a few weeks and I’m trying to earn my place in the team every single day,” Earps said.
“Elene did a great job last year and it won’t be easy between us to see who starts. I think that is another great thing about being part of a fantastic squad.
“I just want to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully that is playing a lot of games and being a part of their history in some small way.”
For a player with her CV, that sounds modest. It also sounds genuine.
International goodbye, club fire still burning
Earps has already drawn one line in the sand. Her international retirement, announced in 2025, closed the chapter that made her a household name. But it did not signal a winding down of her club ambitions.
She has signed a two-year deal with London City and talks like someone who still sees room to grow.
“I want to continue to play at the highest level, to win at the highest level for as long as possible and to be a part of something special,” she said.
“I really do believe that London City will go on to do great things for a long time. They want to be the best in class and world-leading.
“That is something that I’m always pushing to be – to be the best version of myself as a player and a person every day.
“It’s a great place to be for me to max out on whatever potential I have left. The moment that I don’t think I can learn any more, I won’t continue to play.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give and hopefully there’s some fantastic days around the corner. I’m really looking forward to this chapter.”
For now, the focus is simple. One night. One opponent. One old club.
The mural still stands at Old Trafford. On Friday, Mary Earps starts writing the next part of her story in different colours.
