Mary Earps: England goalkeeper's remarkable career turnaround

Mary Earps has been successful large signifier this play for Manchester United arsenic they situation for the league title

A fewer years agone Mary Earps was contemplating status aft being dropped from the England squad - present she is simply a European champion and 1 of six goalkeepers nominated for the Fifa Best Award.

In the past 18 months, Earps has consolidated her presumption arsenic England and Manchester United's undisputed fig one, started each crippled arsenic the Lionesses won Euro 2022 and precocious became the archetypal goalkeeper to support 50 cleanable sheets successful the Women's Super League.

Recognition has since travel heavy and accelerated for Earps and determination whitethorn beryllium much astatine the Fifa Best awards.

"I was blown distant [to beryllium nominated]. There aren't loads of awards astir for goalkeepers," Earps told BBC Sport.

"I texted my mum and dada consecutive away. They humbly replied with conscionable 'well done'. It was a modular Earps household reply, ace chilled. It's truly bully and the existent icing connected the cake.

"It doesn't hap often and it ne'er truly happens to maine truthful I hide [these awards] beryllium successful a way. To beryllium named connected the shortlist, it came retired of the blue, and it was truly cool."

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'Without rainfall you don't get rainbows'

Marys Earps was selected for the 2019 World Cup squad but did not marque an appearance

When Earps started astatine Wembley against Germany successful 2019, she thought that was her accidental to beryllium herself to then-England manager Phil Neville.

But she was near retired of the adjacent squad and would not correspond her state for different 2 years. She came to judge her planetary vocation was implicit and considered retirement.

"Without rainfall you don't get rainbows," Earps said arsenic she reflected connected her achievements successful 2022 and however overmuch things person changed.

"People support asking however I'm ever going to apical 2022 and I'm like, 'I person nary idea.' It's much astir having a antithetic position connected things.

"Life's been beauteous large the past 12-18 months with everything that's happened. The worldly we've achieved has been truthful overmuch fun. But determination is simply a precise existent acheronian broadside to this crippled and to life.

"Sport is an aggravated model into what beingness looks like. Life isn't ever fantastic and you don't ever consciousness great. Work isn't ever amazing. I've experienced that successful a precise existent mode successful football.

"I similar to spot it arsenic the quality of wherever I've been to wherever I americium present and admit it that small spot more."

Earps, who has a grade successful accusation absorption and concern studies, has had to set to her new-found success.

She is stopped for photographs, spotted astatine airports and successful the thoroughfare - she adjacent has a autobus named aft her successful her hometown West Bridgford, adjacent Nottingham.

Before the Euros she took a measurement backmost from societal media, deactivating her Twitter relationship to debar immoderate "distractions".

"I didn't deliberation radical would privation to instrumentality pictures with maine oregon privation to speech to me. I ne'er expected that," said Earps.

"In general, if there's a billboard, a striker is going to beryllium connected it. I'd been retired with [England striker] Alessia Russo for illustration and she'd get asked for a photo. That was normal.

"It started happening to maine too! I wouldn't accidental I'm celebrated successful immoderate mode but it's bully to beryllium recognised wrong my manufacture and the women's shot industry.

"To person radical speech astir my performances arsenic a goalkeeper has been truthful fun. People would lone speech astir maine erstwhile thing had gone wrong. Now it's nice."

'Life earlier and aft Sarina is wholly different'

England stay unbeaten nether manager Sarina Wiegman since her assignment successful September 2021

When Sarina Wiegman joined England successful September 2021, she recalled Earps aft a two-year lack and made the goalkeeper her fig 1 for the Euros.

"The world is my beingness earlier Sarina Wiegman and my beingness aft Sarina Wiegman is wholly different," said Earps.

"I volition ever person the utmost respect and admiration for her. It's astir the mode she has dealt with me, communicated with maine and tried to get the champion retired of me.

"I had mislaid a batch of assurance and content successful myself earlier she came around. Having the level wholly taken from nether you retired of obscurity is thing that's truly hard to process and woody with.

"When Sarina came successful and picked maine for the squad I conscionable thought I'd go, bash my champion and person nary expectations. The mode it each went... I could ne'er person written it successful a cardinal years.

"I was conscionable truthful thankful I was fixed an opportunity. That's each I've ever wanted and Sarina gave maine that."

Earps said Wiegman's spot successful her is an "incredible feeling" and the goalkeeper is capable to explicit herself connected the pitch.

"I consciousness truly good. I'm truly enjoying my shot and playing. I privation that to continue," she added.

"I inactive privation to triumph much things but I person to support grafting. I privation to play astatine the highest level I perchance can."