Hampton's 'bad behaviour was rewarded' with England recall, says Earps

Mary Earps has claimed she told Sarina Wiegman that "bad behaviour is being rewarded" following the England manager's decision to recall Chelsea's Hannah Hampton.

Earps, who retired from international duty in a shock announcement in May, played a key role in the Lionesses' European Championships triumph in 2022. 

The 32-year-old also helped the Lionesses reach the World Cup final the following year, with Hampton her deputy across both of those international tournaments. 

Hampton had been left out of subsequent squads after their Euro victory three years ago, reportedly because of a poor attitude during training sessions. 

However, Wiegman rubbished those rumours, and recalled Hampton to the fold in 2023, which eventually led her to replacing Earps as England's number one goalkeeper.

The Chelsea shot-stopper, who kept more clean sheets (13) than any other goalkeeper in the Women's Super League last season, carried that form into the summer for England. 

And her performances in between the sticks helped the Lionesses retain their European crown in Switzerland, including her penalty heroics against Sweden in the quarter-finals.

But writing in her autobiography All In, extracts of which have been published in the Guardian, Earps said Hampton's recall did not make her "feel comfortable". 

"It doesn't make me feel comfortable not needing to remind her of the disharmony that the squad had felt before," Earps wrote. 

"I felt protective of the good energy we now had in goalkeeper training and the morale of the wider team.

"To reward certain behaviour went against those same fundamental values of creating a healthy and happy space for players of all experience to work and thrive, not least in a team environment before a World Cup."

The following year, Hampton was named ahead of Earps for a European Championships qualifier.

Earps said she told Wiegman: "I don't get it… It's a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded.

"This felt unjust. My eyes welled with tears. It was a choice that went against my core values.

"The affinity I had for Sarina and this job – one I'd given every last cell of myself to – was being destroyed, the trust and respect evaporating."

In April 2025, Wiegman then told the Paris Saint-Germain keeper she was no longer considered England's main starter.

"I felt the weight of my heart sink to the floor and the relief that I finally had clarity lift from my shoulders all at once," Earps added.