Fara Williams says Mary Earps needs to be clearer over ‘baffling’ comments on Hannah Hampton | OneFootball

(PEDRO PORRU / SPP)

Fara Williams says Mary Earps’ comments on Sarina Wiegman and Hannah Hampton are “baffling” but won’t damage her England legacy.

The former Lioness shared her reaction to Earps’ comments about Wiegman and Hampton, which appeared in an excerpt from the goalkeeper’s upcoming autobiography.

Writing in her TNT Sports column, Williams said she was disappointed by Earps’ decision to go public with criticisms of her former England manager and team-mate, but believes that her legacy as one of the country’s greatest goalkeepers will remain untouched.

What has Fara Williams said about Mary Earps?

The discussion around Earps’ book has centred on her claim that Wiegman rewarded “bad behaviour” by bringing Hampton back into the England squad ahead of their European Championship triumph.

Earps has since responded to the media furore, saying her comments were not about heroes or villains.

Williams acknowledged there might be some truth to comments on Hampton’s bad behaviour after she was missed three international camps after Euro 2022.

However, she felt Earps should have provided more explanation to avoid confusion, adding, “If Mary is going to be open and honest about the situation, she needs to go into more detail about the supposed bad behaviour rather than leave it up in the air.”

She added: “I honestly didn’t like Mary’s comments about Hannah. It’s quite baffling to see Mary come out publicly and talk about a former international teammate in this way.

“Looking back at the way her retirement played out, I was expecting something to come out eventually. It was bound to happen when you consider a player as popular as Mary to retire on the eve of a major tournament, although I couldn’t have predicted Mary to talk about Hannah in the way she did, because you need to respect your teammates whether you like them or not.”

Williams says Earps’ legacy remains intact

Despite her criticism of the comments, Williams insisted that Earps’ achievements for England will not be overshadowed by this controversy.

“I think people will look at Mary a bit differently now, but I don’t think the fallout from her book will tarnish her legacy with the Lionesses,” she said.

Williams praised Earps for her contributions to the game and will “always be in the history books” after her success with England and inspiring the next generation of goalkeepers.

Even so, Williams believes Earps will have to accept the reaction that follows her decision to publish such remarks. “However, she will have to deal with the backlash because she decided to put these comments out in public, so there are going to be opinions.”

Williams is not the only football figure to give their opinion on Earps’ comments on Hampton.

Hampton’s former teammate Ruesha Littlejohn admitted that the Chelsea goalkeeper could be a “pain in the a***” and was “difficult” in the past.