Mary Earps’s Manchester United Return Faces Mixed Reception

Published: 12 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Mary Earps’s highly anticipated return to Old Trafford with Paris Saint-Germain was always destined to be a headline-grabbing event, but for the England goalkeeper, Wednesday night proved to be far more complicated than a simple reunion. What was meant to be a celebratory homecoming following her participation in the ‘All In’ book tour instead unfolded amid awkwardness, social media scrutiny, and lingering controversy from her recent memoir.

The release of All In: Football, Life and Learning to be Unapologetically Me has dominated headlines in recent weeks, largely due to Earps’s reflections on her career and her surprise retirement from international duty just weeks before Euro 2025. Central to the media storm were her candid remarks about former England teammate Hannah Hampton, who replaced Earps as No 1 goalkeeper prior to the tournament. Earps’s description of Hampton as “disruptive and unreliable” during Euro 2022, and her claim that she had told coach Sarina Wiegman “bad behaviour is being rewarded,” provoked a wave of reactions from fans, pundits, and fellow players alike.

Despite her PR team’s attempts to manage the narrative—encouraging appearances on podcasts and interviews with national broadcasters—Earps quickly found herself at the centre of a heated debate. While her intent was not to “tear anyone down,” her statements inevitably cast her in a controversial light. Reactions to the memoir were split: many former England teammates and supporters expressed surprise, while others sided with Hampton, applauding her performances throughout Euro 2025 and the resilience she demonstrated under intense scrutiny.

Hampton’s manager at Chelsea, Sonia Bompastor, issued a pointed rebuke, and several former England players also criticised Earps for breaching the unwritten code of confidentiality within the dressing room. Social media amplified the criticism, turning what might have been a private reflection into a very public confrontation. Far from being universally celebrated, Earps now faces a divided fan base, with much of the support seemingly shifting toward Hampton and Wiegman, who have so far refrained from responding directly to the controversy.

This turbulent backdrop made Earps’s Old Trafford return inherently fraught. Her former club, Manchester United, has been a focal point of her career, where she became a fan favourite and cemented her status as one of the leading figures in women’s football. Yet the timing of her homecoming—coming shortly after the release of a tell-all book—has created an uneasy atmosphere. Fans, commentators, and the media alike have scrutinised every moment, from her interactions on the pitch to her demeanor in interviews leading up to the game.

“I’m probably expecting a little booing,” Earps admitted in a BBC interview. “I hope it’s a little bit, but it might be a lot.” While she left United at the end of her contract in 2024, the decision to join PSG was influenced by both sporting ambition and a desire for a fresh environment. Despite United offering improved terms, Earps said she felt wanted by PSG and recognised a better chance of competing for the Women’s Champions League with her new club. Her departure was also informed by what she perceived as broken promises and limited support for United’s women’s team, according to her memoir.

On the pitch, the narrative was complicated further by the performances of United’s current No 1, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who has flourished in Earps’s absence. Sharing the WSL’s Golden Glove award with Hampton last season, Tullis-Joyce has established herself as a formidable presence, ensuring that Earps’s return would not be greeted solely with nostalgia but also with an unspoken competition. Meanwhile, PSG, whose domestic campaigns often unfold away from the English spotlight, had failed to progress far in the Champions League, making Earps’s first competitive match against United all the more significant on a personal level.

The book’s revelations, combined with her timing, have amplified the scrutiny surrounding Earps. Her reflections on Hampton, described in All In, frame the younger goalkeeper as a competitor who, in Earps’s view, unfairly usurped her position. Earps cites Wiegman’s preference for Hampton’s distribution and sweeper-keeper skills as the rationale for her replacement. Hampton’s performances during Euro 2025 appeared to validate Wiegman’s decision, but the discussion surrounding merit, team dynamics, and personal perception has remained at the centre of the public conversation.

Social media has magnified every aspect of the story. While Earps once enjoyed widespread adoration following her heroics at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, the online backlash in the wake of her book’s release has been relentless. Pundits like Ian Wright have remarked on the “pile-on” effect of algorithm-driven platforms, where attention-hungry accounts often dictate the tone of discourse. For Earps, the experience has been overwhelming, as public opinion oscillates rapidly between sympathy and criticism.

The Manchester United fixture, therefore, was more than just another match; it represented a crucible in which Earps’s professional legacy and personal choices were being examined in real time. Unlike PSG’s domestic games in France, which attract less attention, this encounter was steeped in historical and emotional significance. Observers noted that while the reception may not match the intensity of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield return, it was nonetheless a pivotal moment for Earps personally—a public test of resilience following months of media scrutiny and fan debate.

Ultimately, Earps’s homecoming serves as a case study in the complex interplay between sporting achievement, media narratives, and personal disclosure. Her memoir, while intended to celebrate her career and personal growth, has intersected with live events in ways that amplify tension, particularly when returning to former teams or confronting teammates still active at the highest level. The dynamic between past and present colleagues, the expectations of fans, and the heightened visibility of elite women’s football all contribute to a situation where any action or statement is examined through multiple lenses.

As PSG faced United, Earps’s experience underscores the challenges athletes face when navigating personal narratives amid professional commitments. Beyond the goals, saves, and tactical play, the match symbolised a reconciliation of past and present, an attempt to maintain focus on the game despite ongoing controversy, and a reminder that public perception can be as demanding as any on-field opponent.

For Earps, the road ahead involves balancing her ambitions with the scrutiny that comes with being both a sporting icon and a public figure. Whether through her performances on the pitch, her engagement with media narratives, or the ongoing dialogue about her memoir, she must navigate an environment where past decisions and candid reflections coexist with current professional responsibilities. The Old Trafford reunion may have been uneasy, but it highlights the multifaceted pressures facing modern athletes who choose to tell their stories while continuing to compete at the highest level.