News Focus
- Mary Earps leaves Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons in the French capital
- The 33-year-old goalkeeper signs a two-year contract with London City Lionesses
- She felt forgotten by English football fans while playing abroad
- The England international was impressed by club owner Michelle Kang’s vision
- Earps plans to continue playing for many more years with no retirement date set
Mary Earps has sealed her return to English football. The former England number one has joined London City Lionesses on a two-year contract, leaving Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons in France.
The 33-year-old shot-stopper completed the move on Friday. It marks her comeback to the Women’s Super League (WSL), where she previously won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 2024.
Earps revealed she felt invisible to fans while in Paris. “People think I have vanished from the earth,” she explained. “Folks ask if I am still playing. That is hard to hear because I am still here and still working hard.”
The difference between her latest unveiling and past transfers surprised the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Eight years ago at Wolfsburg, her agent bought a club scarf from the shop for her signing photo because no photographer was free. This time, London City organised a professional shoot on a boat on the River Thames with Tower Bridge behind her.
“I would never have imagined this even five years ago,” Earps said. “That photoshoot made me even more excited. If that is what they do just to say I have arrived, imagine what we can do in the future.”
The goalkeeper praised club owner Michelle Kang after a video call convinced her to sign. “She really believes in women’s football,” Earps stated. “She showed real energy for me to join. I respect her greatly.”
Earps has no regrets about her time at PSG. She loved the excellent training facilities and the city itself. However, she found the French league less competitive than she hoped. Now she wants to use every bit of energy she has left in England.
“It felt like coming home,” she said. “I want to compete every week in front of the fans in those great English stadiums.”
London City will be the sixth WSL club for the experienced keeper. She says she does not plan to retire despite stopping her international career. “I still have plenty of fight left,” she said. “I will play until I cannot play any more. I want to avoid the real world for as long as possible because football is a very good job.”
She accepts that quitting the England team means she no longer features in debates about the world’s best goalkeepers. However, she believes her best performances are still to come. “If I did not think I could improve, I would have stopped already,” she added.