Why Ellen White is “uneasy” about Mary Earps’s book revelations about Hannah Hampton and Sarina Wiegman | OneFootball

Ellen White during Euro 2022 (STANLEY Anthony / ATP / SPP)

The Lionesses’ record goalscorer Ellen White has said that she feels “uneasy” about some of the revelations from Mary Earps’ imminent autobiography.

On the BBC Women’s Football Weekly podcast, she explained: “I feel like we almost have this unwritten oath, when you’re in a team, that that togetherness, what happens in that dressing room, in and amongst training, in your bubble, that that stays within that team and that environment, so I feel a little bit uneasy of what has been spoken about by Mary Earps.

“But then I also feel like she’s also my team-mate, so I feel a lot of sadness at the same time, I want to help at the same time.”

Earps’s new book ‘All In’ has been serialised in the media.

The strongest reaction has come in response to an extract in which Earps is critical of Hannah Hampton’s “bad behaviour” and head coach Sarina Wiegman’s decision first to bring Hampton back into the England squad and then to make her first-choice goalkeeper for the 2025 Women’s Euros.

Ellen White: I would protect my team with my life

White went on to explain how Wiegman had created a winning team culture since taking over at England – which has resulted in two consecutive Euros wins as well as a World Cup final.

“I was there in 2022, and I would protect my team with my life, and I would never go into what happened in that environment,” she said. “That’s not for me to speak about.

“What I would say is that when Sarina came in we built this culture and philosophy and togetherness and that family-like feel that it felt unbreakable and it felt so beautiful at the same time.

“And 2022 was so important to us that we never let anything come in between us and that bubble and that winning mentality and I love that about football, and it just feels like that’s been penetrated a little bit and it’s quite hard to take.”

White: Everyone is different

Adding that all 23 squad players in 2022 had contributed to the Euros win, and describing the “bubble” as “sacred”, she went on: “In any workplace, walk of life, you’re not going to get on with everyone, but what a boring life that must be if we were all the same.

“Everyone’s different and that’s why it makes it so special and that’s why being part of a team is so unique is that everyone is different and everybody brings something different, and you’re not necessarily going to get on with everyone but you respect everyone and you love everyone because what they bring makes your team better.”