England head coach Sarina Wiegman has responded to Mary Earps’ bombshell autobiography by saying she “picks teams to win” – and he or she would have made no modifications to the way in which she dealt with each Earps and Hannah Hampton’s conditions.
In her autobiography ‘All In’, former England No 1 Earps revealed she informed Wiegman she was rewarding “bad behaviour” by reintegrating Hampton into the Lionesses squad in 2023 – a call which might ultimately result in her shock worldwide retirement forward of Euro 2025.
Earps says Hampton’s “behaviour behind the scenes had frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources” throughout England’s triumph on residence soil at Euro 2022, and when Wiegman requested her in regards to the thought of bringing Hampton again into the fold, she mentioned “it didn’t make me feel comfortable”.
When Hampton was introduced as England’s first-choice goalkeeper forward of Euro 2025, the PSG goalkeeper made a shock retirement from worldwide soccer simply earlier than the event began.
With Wiegman naming her last Lionesses squad of 2025 on Tuesday, it was the primary time the pinnacle coach has spoken publicly on the Earps situation – together with her press convention dominated by questions on the matter.
“We have conversations, we always have conversations with different players all the time,” mentioned Wiegman.
“What my actuality is, somebody’s actuality could be very completely different. As a result of the way you expertise issues could be very particular person.
“What I want to do is create an environment when we speak up, where I give clarity and always communicate with players where it’s necessary.
“I make choices to win. What I’ve mentioned on a regular basis, is we’ve two unbelievable goalkeepers within the goalkeeper group – and we’ve extra good goalkeepers. And in the long run, I made the choice to the one I got here to. That is what it’s for me.
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The Athletic’s Megan Feringa breaks down why former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has now determined to open up on her ideas on former team-mate Hannah Hampton.
“What I should say, is I really, really enjoyed working with Mary. She’s retired now and we had incredible times. I always cherish that and really enjoyed that.”
Requested if – wanting again – she would have performed something in another way: “We are very thorough in what we do and over time we look at one year, the competition has been really, really hard. We had a very good goalkeeper unit, the two goalkeepers were competing for the No 1 spot.
“I feel I’d have performed precisely the identical factor. We stored speaking each time. We attempt to help everybody in the very best means. I simply can’t management the way it comes throughout. There are all the time learnings, however I do not assume within the greater image I’d have performed issues in another way.”
Wiegman additionally revealed she has not spoken to Earps since her autobiography got here out – however she has spoken to Hampton, as per her fixed communication course of with Lionesses gamers.
What did Earps say about Wiegman and Hampton?
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Goalkeeper Mary Earps opens up on the ache of retiring from the Lionesses and why she took the choice.
After profitable the Euros in 2022, Earps continued as England’s No 1 for his or her run to the 2023 World Cup last, however in April 2024, Wiegman made the choice to offer Hampton “a second chance” and restored her to the squad for a Euro 2025 qualifying match in opposition to Sweden.
The choice didn’t go down nicely with Earps, who revealed in her tell-all autobiography, All In, that she responded with: “I don’t get it. It’s a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded.”
She wrote: “Then came the words I’d waited over 12 months to hear: ‘I’ve decided Hannah’s the No 1 for now.’ I felt the weight of my heart sink to the floor and the relief that I had finally had clarity lift from my shoulders all at once. ‘She’s a little bit ahead of you,’ Sarina continued. “It is nothing you have performed or performed mistaken.’
“‘I expected this,’ I said. I had 30 seconds to say my piece. I told her I wasn’t surprised by what she’d just said, that it had been a long time coming, but I felt extremely disappointed, nonetheless.
“Then I mentioned: ‘I simply assume you could possibly have been extra direct and trustworthy from the bounce.’ She wasn’t pleased with that.
Earps was booed as she returned to England with PSG to face Man Utd within the Champions League
“‘No, I don’t think that’s fair. I always communicate openly. We’ve only just made this decision,’ she cut in.
“That appeared like b******** to me.
“‘Respectfully,’ I said, ‘we’re going to have to agree to disagree. You’ve made your decision. I’ve had to make one too. This will be my last camp, I’m internationally retiring.'”
The previous Manchester United No 1 goes on to say that Wiegman satisfied her to reverse her choice within the build-up to PSG’s league semi-final play-off in Could.
“Dubiously, I told her: ‘OK, I’ll continue.’ She was pleased. Then, before we left the call she offered up, in passing: ‘Well done, I saw you won last night.’ I was glad she’d noticed, as it reinforced what she’d said. Then she said she hadn’t watched it.
“With that, I knew immediately that I might made the mistaken alternative; I instantly wished I hadn’t uttered the phrases. I had dedicated to one thing and somebody who did not appear dedicated to me; whose phrases, the place I used to be involved, nonetheless did not match their actions.”
Earps goes on to say, following the Champions League final in May, where she went to support her England team-mates, she called Wiegman to tell her she had changed her decision and would retire.
“‘I can not do it,’ I mentioned,” Earps writes. “‘Wow,’ got here the reply. Her solely phrase shook me. ‘I can not imagine it,’ she mentioned. ‘I am so upset. What made you alter your thoughts?’
“‘I don’t think I ever really did,” I replied. I could not have been extra trustworthy. I had been all alongside.”
Hampton would go on to avoid wasting two penalties as England beat Spain to win the Euros in the summertime. In September, Earps was on stage to current Hampton with the inaugural girls’s Yashin trophy for her performances for each Chelsea and on the Euros.
Each phrase from Wiegman’s press convention about Earps…
Her response to Earps’ feedback…
What she’s written, that is her guide! Numerous response on it. I do not assume I can react on something extra. There are a whole lot of personal conversations that I all the time maintain personal. So I am unsure what you need greater than that.
How do you’re feeling in regards to the feedback?
I really feel good. We have now conversations, we all the time have conversations with completely different gamers on a regular basis. What my actuality is, somebody’s actuality could be very completely different. As a result of the way you expertise issues could be very particular person. What I wish to do is create an surroundings once we communicate up, the place I give readability and all the time talk with gamers the place it is necessary. I make choices to win. What I’ve mentioned on a regular basis, is we’ve two unbelievable goalkeepers within the goalkeeper group – and we’ve extra good goalkeepers. And in the long run, I made the choice to the one I got here to. That is what it’s for me.
What I ought to say, is I actually, actually loved working with Mary. She’s retired now and we had unbelievable occasions. I all the time cherish that and actually loved that.
Did the feedback harm or disappoint you?
I do not assume I can change that. What I am making an attempt to do is be as trustworthy as potential. I am in an excellent working relationship and I feel that is what we had. And I can not management the opposite issues. So I simply keep on with what I wish to do, how I wish to do it and attempt to be clear and trustworthy as potential and make the choice to do it.
Have you ever spoken to Hampton about it?
Sure, in fact I’ve a really shut working relationship with coaches and likewise with Sonia [Bompastor]. we speak rather a lot about gamers as a result of we’ve many gamers from Chelsea additionally in our squad. So we had conversations and likewise speaking about Hannah, in fact we spoke to Hannah. I communicate to gamers in between camps anyway, relying on the place they’re at and if it is necessary to talk to them.
Sadly, Hannah is injured now so she will be able to’t come to camp, however I did communicate to her, sure.
Was Hampton put in a troublesome state of affairs by all this?
Nicely, in fact it is onerous. There’s rather a lot in media and social media.
It is onerous anyway and that is onerous too. Numerous the conditions are onerous too, however I feel there’s a lot stuff happening on the socials on a regular basis with scrutiny and that is a distinct state of affairs in fact. However I feel gamers are in an surroundings now and must cope with a lot of stuff and this is without doubt one of the two.
How irritating is that this when it’s a must to put together for a camp, and there are questions like this?
Yeah, in fact. That is your job too, I feel. So it’s a must to ask these questions. No, but it surely’s good to speak soccer.
That is the final camp of this yr. It has been a really particular yr. It is a homecoming, so we will play in one other Wembley with over 80,000 tickets bought, which is unbelievable. We have felt a lot help from the followers right here in England but in addition once we are overseas, in order that’s very particular.
And we additionally go to Southampton, which in fact I hope extra tickets will likely be bought too, which is also very nice as a result of that was my very first sport in 2021 after I got here in. So it is thrilling to enter camp after which to have the squad that we’re going with.
Have been you shocked in regards to the feedback?
Shocked? No, not shocked. We all know we’re very seen as a crew, so when it is about soccer or different issues, there will likely be visibility and there will likely be consideration for it, so I wasn’t shocked.
This could be a divisive state of affairs, are you nervous it’s going to trigger disruption?
No, I am not nervous about that. In groups, there’s all the time dynamics happening. We’re working with individuals and everybody’s completely different, so it doesn’t matter what matter there’s, there’s all the time conversations happening.
Typically you want some extra effort in it, typically rather less effort in it. You simply wish to be open and I would like my door to be open always and have conversations when that is wanted or when somebody wants help and you’ve got a random and intergenerational play for no matter purpose.
I do this too, so on the whole, there’s all the time conversations happening and we’re all the time making an attempt to get everybody in the identical route we’re with it.
Is it disappointing you have constructed this tradition and now conversations had been made public?
Yeah, in fact. As I all the time say, I all the time maintain conversations personal. In fact, I share issues right here [in the media], however when I’ve particular person conversations about no matter, I am going to maintain that personal as a result of I feel that builds belief.
And I feel after I do this, I feel gamers will come to me and have conversations with me and I can have these conversations too.
In order that’s my strategy and that is what I say all the time about we create an surroundings the place we would like individuals to be themselves and everybody’s completely different and I feel that is good too since you wish to get to know one another.
What you are making an attempt to do is to know the individual so good that you understand how to help them in one of the best ways but in addition not out to problem essentially.
On the identical time, after they really feel that issues are staying with me, the door is all the time open however they arrive in and you retain sharing issues as a result of I feel that basically helps on and off the pitch and helps connecting individuals.
How have you ever managed this unprecedented state of affairs?
I simply maintain doing my job and I attempt to keep out of issues as all the time. I do know that is one other state of affairs however there’s all the time issues happening and all the time issues which are public.
So what I all the time assume is what do I’ve to do to carry the crew collectively and to play the most effective sport? The following sport we play which in fact will likely be China. I maintain specializing in who’re we going to pick, which video games are we going to look at dwell, which video games are we going to look at on TV, how do I collaborate with the employees? After which transfer on. Do the evaluation after which prepare for the subsequent week.
How do you make sure that this case is not repeated?
I can not management that. As I say on a regular basis I can by no means management the temper of different individuals.
What I attempt to do is talk always and discover the precise positions in what I feel is the most effective crew to compete for the subsequent sport or event and discover the precise positions to win. That is high-quality.
Wanting again, would you will have modified something?
As I mentioned, I feel we’re very pleased with what we do and over time, if we take a look at one yr, the competitors has been actually, actually onerous. As I mentioned, we had a great, excellent goalkeeper unit and the 2 goalkeepers had been competing for the primary spots.
I feel I’d have performed precisely the identical factor and we stored speaking each time. As all the time, we attempt to help in the very best means, I simply can’t management the way it comes throughout. And there is all the time learnings however I do not assume we did a great job with it clearly.
Has this episode saddened you?
Nicely, in fact you hope that issues are all the time constructive however that is additionally not the way it works in soccer and if you’re so seen. So that is the outcomes, not due to one thing else and that is simply the case, that is simply the state of affairs and also you’re making an attempt to cope with it in the very best means and attempt to clear up no matter issues have to be solved and transfer ahead.
How has Hampton handled this?
I feel that is the query for her. Like I mentioned, I had conversations together with her and I had a whole lot of conversations together with her as a result of now she’s injured. We have now conversations with completely different gamers and with extra gamers and so I did additionally together with her and what the content material of the dialog is, I all the time maintain that in thoughts.
