Sarina Wiegman breaks silence on Mary Earps’ ‘really disappointing’ international retirement shock as Lionnesses’ boss opens up on goalkeeper’s ’emotional’ exit

There was a sense of disbelief still hanging in the air when Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson took their seats in front of the media on Thursday morning.

Where conversations would typically have centred on the Lionesses captain’s historic feat of bringing the Champions League back to England after 18 years or the growing excitement ahead of the upcoming Euros, instead, a giant, goalkeeper-sized shadow loomed over it all.

Mary Earps’ shock retirement five weeks before the European Championships kicks off has baffled many, with reports suggesting the decision had left the England head coach Wiegman infuriated.

But anyone expecting an uncharacteristic display of blood and thunder from the straight-talking Dutch coach were left thoroughly let down.

Appearing visibly upset by the situation, Wiegman began: ‘I am really disappointed and sad that she (Earps) is not part of the team because I want her in my team.

‘That must have been a really hard decision for her and so it is for us. There have been a couple of conversations which I don’t want to share here because they are between us.’

England boss Sarina Wiegman appeared visibly upset by the Earps decision to retire

Earps had been Wiegman’s first choice goalkeeper since she took charge in September 2021

Earps, who joined PSG from Manchester United last year, had been Wiegman’s first-choice goalkeeper ever since the England boss took the helm in September 2021.

In the last year, though, Wiegman has been rotating Earps and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton, and in April the England boss said that Hampton was ‘a little bit ahead’ in the race for the No 1 shirt at this summer’s Euros – although she did not confirm on Thursday whether that decision had been made to trigger Earps’ departure. Wiegman emphasised that she wanted to keep her conversations with Earps ‘confidential’.

Pressed on whether the disappointed of Earps’ sudden retirement bubbled into a sense of annoyance, Wiegman replied: ‘Of course, it’s hard. But I want to keep to disappointment. It’s emotional because you also have relationships and we have had such a massive journey together with lots of highs and some lows too and that’s what makes it really hard.

‘We have to move on too. We have a game tomorrow. We are going into the Euros and after that we can think about those things.’

Earps’ departure leaves Hampton as the only capped goalkeeper in the squad, with one or both of Manchester City’s Khiara Keating and Orlando Pride’s Anna Moorhouse now likely to get some minutes in the three remaining games before England face France in their opening group stage game in Switzerland.

Responding to concerns about their lack of experience, Wiegman replied: ‘At club they play high level games, and I think that’s experience too. As we say all the time, the game develops very quickly, the games domestically or internationally too, is very high level, big crowds and things like that so I think we do have experience.’

England captain Williamson, who described Earps as one of her ‘closest friends in football’ added that she was ‘devastated’ by the announcement.

Williamson said: ‘I know that playing for a country meant everything to her (Earps) and she always did such a great job with it. For her to come to that decision, I will always respect that first, and I care about Mary as a human first before a footballer.

Wiegman had confirmed Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton as her No 1 goalkeeper back in April

Leah Williamson, pictured with Earps in 2023, said she was ‘devastated’ by the announcement

Hampton’s understudies Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse are yet to be capped by England

Millie Bright is absent from the squad having said she is ‘mentally and physically’ at her limit

‘But of course, we’re a team and we want to win, and Mary in that team gives us a better chance of winning. I know that to be true.’

She added: ‘I am very sad that those memories won’t continue in an England shirt but if she thinks this is the best thing then I will support her always.

‘She’s a leader, she’s got experience, to lose her obviously leaves a gap there, but we’ve had that happen before and players have to step up and show what they’re made of also.’

Wiegman, who confirmed that Hampton is now her No 1, is now also having to deal with the absence of Millie Bright amongst others.

Bright, who captained the side in Williamson’s absence during England’s run to the 2023 World Cup final has described she is ‘mentally and physically’ at her limit, which is why she has not joined this England camp.

Wiegman said: ‘She has to take care of herself, we are in conversation and I don’t know where that gets to, we’ll stay in contact and I hope she feels better soon, but I don’t know that yet at the moment.’

Ella Toone and Alessia Russo will both not be available for England’s Nations League game against Portugal at Wembley tomorrow evening after they suffered calf injures, but are ‘not long-term’.

Meanwhile Wiegman said Lauren James is ‘doing well’ in rehab and it is still possible she could make it back in time for the Euros.