Comments from Mary Earps’ new autobiography about former England teammate Hannah Hampton and manager Sarina Wiegman have dominated headlines this week, sparking debate and unease within English football.
It is unusual for a current player to publish such an open account of behind-the-scenes discussions and relationships involving figures still active in the game.
Both Earps and Hampton are established names at the top of women’s football — decorated goalkeepers who have won European titles with England and earned major individual honours. Given their shared history, it is perhaps unsurprising that Earps’ words have caused a stir.
So how has the football community responded — and what could this mean for the Lionesses moving forward?
In excerpts published by The Guardian, Earps claimed she told Wiegman she was rewarding “bad behaviour” by recalling Hampton to the England squad — referencing her previous exclusion for being “disruptive and unreliable.”
In response, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor defended Hampton, praising her goalkeeper’s “class” and saying she felt Earps’ comments disrespected Wiegman.
Earps later clarified in an interview with BBC Sport that her intention was never to “tear anyone down.”
Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating, who recently made her England debut, called for calm and unity within the goalkeeping group.
“At the end of the day, we’re all here to do the same job,” Keating told BBC Sport. “We’ve always been a close-knit group — as goalkeepers, we stick together. I’m sure they’ll sort things out. I love them both. People have different opinions, but we should focus on what matters.”
Keating added that while the situation was “not nice to see,” she hoped the team could move past it and refocus on football following back-to-back European triumphs.
The book’s publication has created a wave of discomfort among former and current players.
Ellen White, who played alongside both Earps and Hampton, said she felt “uneasy,” “nervous,” and “sad” about the fallout.
“There’s almost an unwritten oath in a team — that what happens in the dressing room stays there,” White said on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. “When Sarina came in, we built this culture of togetherness and family. It feels like that bond has been damaged a little, and that’s hard to take.”
Former Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie echoed that sentiment, saying some moments are “better left behind closed doors.”
Sources close to the England squad say many players are “confused” about the timing of the book’s release — so soon after their historic Euro 2025 win. Several Lionesses have reportedly requested limited media duties to avoid deepening divisions within the camp.
The controversy has also placed players who share close ties with both Earps and Hampton in an uncomfortable position, caught between loyalty and silence.
Hampton, according to those close to her, is focusing on Chelsea’s crucial Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal this weekend but has been “affected by the unwanted attention.”
Earps has since expressed hope that the controversy will not damage her relationship with Wiegman, but the timing could hardly be worse.
Wiegman is set to name her squad for England’s upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana, with questions about Earps’ comments expected to dominate press conferences and overshadow preparations.
It’s an unfortunate backdrop to what should be a celebratory end to 2025 — a year in which the Lionesses became the first English team ever to defend a European Championship title, and the first to do so abroad.
Instead, their “homecoming series” of matches now risks being defined by tension rather than triumph.
Former England midfielder Fara Williams, writing in her TNT Sports column, said Earps’ achievements will remain part of history but admitted she was “baffled” by the decision to speak out publicly.
“People might look at Mary a bit differently,” Williams wrote. “But she’ll always be remembered for her heroics — winning the Euros, saving that World Cup final penalty, and making goalkeeping aspirational for young girls.”
Even so, Williams said she “didn’t like” the comments about Hampton.
“If Mary wanted to be transparent, she should have explained the situation in full rather than leaving it open to speculation. Whether or not Hannah showed bad behaviour in the past, she served her punishment and has clearly grown from that experience.”
What began as a personal reflection from one of England’s most celebrated players has now become an unwelcome distraction for the Lionesses — testing the unity of a squad that, until now, had seemed unbreakable.
