Sarina Wiegman hopes Mary Earps won’t be booed on Lionesses return | OneFootball

England manager Sarina Wiegman hopes Mary Earps will get the retirement send-off she “deserves” ahead of a celebration for the former Lionesses goalkeeper before the World Cup qualifier against Spain at Wembley on Tuesday.

Earps retired from international duty ahead of Euro 2025 last year after playing a key role for the Lionesses in their Euro 2022 triumph and run the 2023 World Cup final that saw her recognised as the world’s best.

But after losing her place to Hannah Hampton before last year’s Euros, Earps went on to criticise Wiegman’s decision to restore Hampton to the Lionesses squad in her autobiography ‘All In’ - which made headlines following the book’s release in November.

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There was a mixed reception for Earps when she played for PSG at former club Manchester United (Getty)

The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper has played just once in England since her book was published, when making her return to former club Manchester United in the Women’s Champions League. On that night there were some boos as well as cheers.

Earps then revealed regrets over comments made in the autobiography and said she “learned some tough lessons” during the fallout, but Wiegman said she has put the incident behind her and hopes she will be given a warm reception at Wembley.

“It shows what she has done for the game, what she has done for England,” Wiegman said ahead of the on-pitch presentation. “She is an inspiration for so many people, particularly young goalkeepers. She deserves a great farewell. I hope we celebrate her and it will be a nice moment.

“I think some people have been disappointed, some people will be thinking she is inspirational, everyone will have an opinion. But let’s cherish the moments we had together. Mary had a great career and for us was the world’s best. She played important games and now she has moved on. Let’s all celebrate her.”

The FA has made efforts to honour former England players following their international retirements and there was a send-off for Euros winner Fran Kirby before the friendly against China in November, as well as former captain Steph Houghton before a friendly with Germany in October 2024.

Earps said in February that she had a “positive conversation with Wiegman and expressed regret at how the release of her autobiography was handled. “That was kind of my first rodeo with ‘cancel culture’, and 0 out of 10 – would not recommend to other people,” Earps told The Guardian.

“I take full responsibility for the book and the things that happened around the book. There were some tough lessons learned. I’m human. I’m not perfect, I’m still learning. I’m still growing as a person. I want to use those lessons going forward.”

Wiegman said England captain Leah Williamson is a doubt to face Spain in a rematch of the Euro 2025 final, while Keira Walsh could earn her 100th cap if she starts against the world champions.