Mary Earps is coming home. The former Manchester United and England goalkeeper signed a two-year deal with London City Lionesses on Friday, marking her return to the Women’s Super League after two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. It’s a move that feels bigger than just one player changing teams.
Earps left United back in 2024 after contract talks stalled. She went to Paris, won some individual hardware, and added to a trophy case that already included a World Cup Golden Glove and back-to-back FIFA Best Goalkeeper awards. But she never really seemed settled in France. Now she’s back in England, and she’s betting on a club that finished sixth in the WSL last season. That’s not a typical superstar move.
London City Lionesses are owned by Michele Kang, the same person who controls the Washington Spirit in the NWSL. Kang has been clear about wanting to make London City a powerhouse. New training facility. Big spending. Real ambition. Earps said the conversations with the club were so positive that every time she talked to them, she wanted to hear more. That’s not nothing.
But here’s the thing: London City finished 13 points behind United, who placed fourth. They’re not a title contender yet. Earps knows that. She called the WSL extremely competitive and acknowledged that the team needs to climb the table. But she also said she still has so much left to give to the game, and that’s why she chose London City. That’s a player who believes she can help build something, not just join something already built.
A decorated career, but not done yet
Earps retired from international football in May 2025 with 53 caps for England. She won the Euros, the Finalissima, a SheBelieves Cup, and the Arnold Clark Cup. Domestically, she set WSL records for clean sheets in a season and overall while at United, and she was the starting goalkeeper when United won their first Women’s FA Cup in 2024. That 4-0 win over Tottenham at Wembley was a high point. But she left anyway.
Now she’s back, and she’ll compete with Elene Lete for the starting job at London City. Earps praised Lete’s saves and interventions last season and said she hopes they can push each other. That’s a diplomatic way of saying the competition is real.
The signing feels like a statement from London City. They’re not content to be a mid-table team that overachieved in its first WSL season. They want to grow, and they want to do it fast. Earps is the kind of player who can help set a new standard. Whether that translates into results on the field is another question. But it’s a good question to have.
Earps put it simply: this is the first day of the next chapter. We’ll see where it goes.
Leave a Comment