Mary Earps Returns to Women's Super League with London City Lionesses

Mary Earps has never been one to tiptoe into a new chapter. She prefers a stage, some noise, and a bit of history on the line.

So of course her return to the Women's Super League could come against Manchester United.

The new London City Lionesses goalkeeper looked at the fixture list and felt the pull straight away. A season opener on Friday night, under the lights, against the club where she became England’s number one and twice won Fifa’s goalkeeper of the year. For Earps, it felt, in her own words, “meant to be”.

From Old Trafford hero to visitor again

Earps spent five seasons at United, making more than 100 appearances and anchoring the side as they claimed their first major trophy, the FA Cup, in 2024. Those years turned her from a solid keeper into a genuine star.

She helped drive England to Euro 2022 glory and then to the 2023 World Cup final while still in United colours. The performances brought a flood of individual honours, capped by BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, and pushed her into a rare space: one of the most recognisable and influential footballers in the country.

The bond with United never really broke. When she returned to Old Trafford with Paris St-Germain in the Women's Champions League last season, the reception hit her hard.

"I got a nice reception at Old Trafford and it meant a great deal to me at that time," she told BBC Sport. United, she knows, is not the same club she left. The squad has shifted, the landscape has moved on. But the memories have not faded.

"I spent five wonderful years there and I made amazing memories. I won an FA Cup and met a lot of incredible people. I know the fans don't change - they are still as hardcore as ever."

Outside the stadium, the mural of her still stares out. Inside, the applause still comes, even after a controversial book last November dominated headlines and sparked weeks of debate. The affection has survived the noise.

Paris, perspective and the pull of home

When she walked away from United, it was with a clear purpose. Earps wanted Champions League football, trophies, and a step away from the glare that followed her everywhere in England.

PSG offered all of that. Over two seasons in Paris she made 22 league appearances last term, sampled life at Parc des Princes, and slipped into a different rhythm.

"I'm grateful for all the amazing love and support that I've had over the years, but it was nice to be away," she said. "PSG is a great club. Getting to experience the Parc des Princes, the French food, the Parisian way of life and the language - I think it was good for me.

"I'm an intense person, especially when I'm on the pitch, so it was good for me to be able to take a period of reflection away from the craziness in England.

"But that being said, I'm incredibly grateful for this platform that I've been given so it's not a complaint. I went away to push myself out of my comfort zone."

The experiment worked. She got the reset she wanted. Then, as her contract ticked down, something else started to tug at her.

"Of course, there's always things that you miss. I'm very, very happy to be home," she said. "I missed the English football culture - the way you feel when you walk into a stadium, the electricity of the crowd, the feeling around women's football in this country.

"I knew I was probably going to miss that going away which is why I'm so excited to be back. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

A new powerhouse project

Earps has not just come back to any WSL club. London City have spent the summer building a team that sounds like a wish list.

She joins two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and Spain defender Mapi Leon in a squad that suddenly looks built for big occasions and bigger ambitions. The Lionesses want to climb the table quickly, and they have recruited like a club that expects to.

Earps has already started both of their last two pre-season games. Even so, she knows the number-one shirt is not guaranteed. Elene Lete impressed last season and has no intention of stepping aside quietly.

"The reality of it is that I've been here a few weeks and I'm trying to earn my place in the team every single day," Earps said.

"Elene did a great job last year and it won't be easy between us to see who starts. I think that is another great thing about being part of a fantastic squad.

"I just want to contribute to the team's success and hopefully that is playing a lot of games and being a part of their history in some small way."

The competition suits her. It always has. This time, the battle is inside a dressing room that wants to be “best in class and world-leading” – her words, and very much her kind of mission.

Life after England, not after football

Earps has already closed one door. Her international retirement in 2025 ended a defining chapter with England, but it did not signal a gentle wind-down at club level.

She has signed a two-year deal with London City and speaks like someone who still feels the edge of improvement, not the comfort of nostalgia.

"I want to continue to play at the highest level, to win at the highest level for as long as possible and to be a part of something special," she said.

"I really do believe that London City will go on to do great things for a long time. They want to be the best in class and world-leading.

"That is something that I'm always pushing to be - to be the best version of myself as a player and a person every day.

"It's a great place to be for me to max out on whatever potential I have left. The moment that I don't think I can learn any more, I won't continue to play.

"I still feel like I've got a lot to give and hopefully there's some fantastic days around the corner. I'm really looking forward to this chapter."

On Friday night, against the club that helped turn her into a star, that chapter could begin in the most fitting way possible: Earps back in a WSL goal, Old Trafford watching, and a new project demanding the same standards she once set in red.