Hampton aiming to live up to 'unbelievable' Earps' England legacy

Hannah Hampton has vowed to live up to Mary Earps' England legacy as she prepares to be the Lionesses number one at the upcoming European Championships. 

Earps announced her shock decision to walk away from international duty last month, having helped England win Euro 2022 and leading them to the World Cup final a year later. 

She plays her football in France with Paris Saint-Germain, and earned 53 caps for her country, while also winning the Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in successive years. 

However, the 32-year-old has lost her starting place to Chelsea's Hampton, who wore the number one shirt in each of England's last three fixtures before Earps' retirement.

Hampton enjoyed a stellar season for Sonia Bompastor's Blues, keeping a division-high 13 clean sheets (level with Phallon Tullis-Joyce) in the Women's Super League last year. 

She also conceded just 13 goals, the lowest in the division of goalkeepers to play a minimum of 16 games in the WSL in 2024-25. 

"We have to obviously respect what her decision is," Hampton said of Earps.

"I think there's been quite a bit of scrutiny that she probably doesn't deserve with everything she's achieved in the game.

"She put women's goalkeeping on the map for the younger generation. It was never really a thing, and Mary's changed that.

"I think I've done everything I need to do. I've sent her a text and I congratulated her on a very successful international career and I think that's all I really can do.

"She's been an unbelievable player. We're gonna miss her as a person here. She's a big personality in this team and she glued us all together at times when we needed to.

"So, I think it's been difficult for everyone to come to terms with what her decision is, but we have to respect that.

"And yeah, now I've got to just go and live up to her legacy. I'll give it my best shot for sure."

Hampton is now England's only capped goalkeeper in the squad, with Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse the other two keepers going to the Euros.

"I'm going to be trying my absolute best to fill the gloves of the keepers [who came] before and the success they've had," Hampton added. 

"I think like everyone here, they've had ups and downs in their careers.

"They've fought out of that to be in the position they are today and I'm probably one of them, but it's no different to anyone else here.

"There have been moments when everyone [in the squad] has probably thought they were in a tough position, but you get each other out of it."