Anita Asante says Mary Earps’ comments about Hannah Hampton sit ‘uncomfortably’ with her | OneFootball

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Former England player Anita Asante says the decision by Mary Earps to release her autobiography while still playing has caused unease in women’s football, amid the fallout involving Hannah Hampton.

Writing in her BBC column, Asante said she understood why Earps decided to tell her side of the story through new autobiography.

However, Asante said that Earps’ comments sit ‘uncomfortably’ with her.

What did Anita Asante say about Mary Earps?

Anita Asante has shared her thoughts on the ongoing fallout surrounding Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton, calling the situation “really unfortunate” and expressing concern about the timing and impact of the autobiography.

Writing in her BBC Sport column, Asante said the release of the book while Earps is still an active player has made “a lot of people feel uncomfortable”.

“It’s really unfortunate that for whatever reason, Mary Earps decided to write an autobiography and release it now while she’s still an active player, as well as the timing of it,” Asante said.

“It’s made a lot of people feel very uncomfortable, uneasy and sad about how it’s all unraveled because it has put two players in the spotlight – Mary and Hannah Hampton – that many have played with and enjoyed seeing their rise to the top. We’ve all felt part of their journeys and in the success that they have brought to the Lionesses.”

Asante reflected on how the situation has raised deeper questions about role models and image within women’s football. “This situation seems to have questioned the notions we have of what a role model is in women’s football,” she wrote. “It feels like it’s a shattering of that bubble which has amounted to all this reaction.”

While Asante said she understood Earps’ desire to tell her story, she felt uneasy about the consequences. “I understand why Mary felt the need to use this autobiography to tell her side of the story, to close a chapter metaphorically on her England career, but it sits very uncomfortably with me to not recognise the impact that this could have on Hampton and manager Sarina Wiegman.”

What have other people said?

The controversy began when extracts from Earps’ autobiography All In, published by The Guardian , included criticism of Hampton’s “bad behaviour” during the Euros.

Earps suggested Hampton’s conduct had disrupted training and made her uncomfortable when she was later reinstated in the England squad.

Following the release, Republic of Ireland international Ruesha Littlejohn shared her own perspective on The Ruesha and Shebahn Show.

Littlejohn, who played alongside Hampton at Aston Villa between 2021 and 2023 and briefly at Birmingham City, described her former teammate as “difficult” and at times “a pain in the a***.”

“If you have been around Hannah before, you know exactly what Hannah was like,” Littlejohn said. “She was maybe difficult, disruptive, however you want to word it. Hannah’s probably not been in the past a great teammate to always be around.”

Littlejohn balanced her comments by praising Hampton’s talent. “Hannah had the ability, 100 per cent, what a player. She’s a great player with a bright future and one of the best goalkeepers in women’s and arguably men’s football, with her distribution, which is second to none,” she said.

Fara Williams in her TNT Sports column said that Earps should have been clearer over her “baffling” comments. However, she did say that Earps’ legacy would remain intact despite of her comments.