Sarina Wiegman breaks silence on criticism from former goalkeeper Mary Earps | OneFootball

Sarina Wiegman defended her handling of the decision to drop Mary Earps for Hannah Hampton despite the explosive fallout from the former goalkeeper’s criticism of the Lionesses manager in her new autobiography.

Wiegman said she couldn’t control the reaction from Earps’s book, which criticised Hampton and Wiegman’s decision to make her England’s No 1 before Euro 2025, and said she “would have done exactly the same thing” again given the chance.

In her book, Earps said she lost “affinity, trust and respect” for Wiegman and accused her of “bull----” as she retired from international duty just weeks before the before the Euros after she was told that she had lost her starting spot.

England went on to defend their Euros title in dramatic fashion, with Wiegman lifting her third consecutive Euros title as a coach and Hampton playing a starring role. “I make decisions to win,” the Dutchwoman said.

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Wiegman did not criticise Earps but said she ‘makes decisions to win’ (Getty Images)

“I think you've read what she's written,” Wiegman said as she addressed the comments for the first time, with questions about Earps’s autobiography dominating the release of her latest squad for England’s upcoming games against China and Ghana.

“My reaction [is] that's her book. There has been a lot of response on it, and I don't think I can react to anything more because there's a lot of private conversations that I always keep private.

“What my reality is, someone else's reality can be different because how you experience things, that's very individual.

“I just know what I want to do is create an environment where we speak up, where I give clarity, where I always communicate with players when it's necessary, and also I make decisions to win.

“And I think what I've said all the time is that we had two incredible goalkeepers within the goalkeepers' group and at the end I made that decision [to start Hampton] and that's what it is for me.

“What I should say also is that I've really, really enjoyed working with Mary. She's retired now, and we had incredible times, and I always cherish that, and I really enjoyed that.”

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The release from Mary Earps’s book lifted the lid on tensions behind the scenes at the Lionesses (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Earps has credited Wiegman for transforming her career as she took the No 1 jersey under the Dutch coach and was twice named goalkeeper of the year after winning Euro 2022 and reaching the World Cup final in 2023. But the release of Earps’s book lifted the lid on tensions behind the scenes during England’s success.

Wiegman would not be drawn into criticising the goalkeeper’s decision to make the conversations between them public or for putting Hampton, who played a starring role for England in their Euro 2025 triumph, unfairly under the spotlight.

Earps said Hampton had been rewarded for “bad behaviour” after being dropped for being “disruptive and unreliable” during Euro 2022, when she was 21. Earps then criticised Wiegman’s decision to recall Hampton to the squad a few months later.

“I don't think I can change that,” Wiegman said. “What I try to do is be as honest as possible and have a very good working relationship, and I think that's what we had, and I can't control the other things, so I just stick with what I want to do, how I want to do it, and trying to be clear and honest as possible and making decisions to win.”

Asked if she would have done anything differently, Wiegman replied: “As I said, we had a very good goalkeeper unit, and the two goalkeepers were competing for the No 1 spot.

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Wiegman told Earps that Hampton was going to be her starting goalkeeper at the Euros (The FA via Getty Images)

“I think I would have done exactly the same thing. We kept communicating every time and we try, as always, to support in the best possible way.

“I just can't control how it comes across, and there's always learnings, but I don't think in the bigger picture I would have done things differently.”

Wiegman said she had not spoken to Earps since the release of her book but had been in touch with Hampton, although she would not reveal what was said.

Hampton ended up playing a vital role in England’s triumph, saving two penalties in the shoot-out victory over Spain in the final. But the goalkeeper will miss England’s final two fixtures of the year against China and Ghana and is set to be out for a “few weeks” due to a quad injury.

“Unfortunately, Hannah's injured now, so she can't come to camp, but I did speak to her, yes,” Wiegman said.

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(Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Wiegman handed forward Freya Godfrey a first senior call-up while goalkeeper Sophie Baggley, defenders Anouk Denton, Grace Fisk and Taylor Hinds and midfielder Lucia Kendal kept their places after their involvement in last month’s camp.

Lauren Hemp is back in the England squad for the first time since Euro 2025 after recovering from injury but Lauren James will remain with Chelsea as she builds her fitness following her own lay-off.

Leah Williamson, Michelle Agyemang and Alex Greenwood are also unavailable while Jess Carter will remain in the United States to recover after her involvement in the NWSL play-offs with Gotham City.