Earps have become an integral part of Sarina Wigman's all-conquering team for England. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker
Mary Earps will emerge from the Women's World Cup final on Sunday as FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year, but her international career was in decline three years ago.
During the latter The goalkeeper fell out of favor during Phil Neville's reign in England and he was not chosen as the next Lionesses manager Hege Riise, but Sarina Wigman's recall in September 2021 and the Dutchwoman's total faith in Earps changed the 30-year-old's life. So what is behind this change in career trajectory?
Perhaps Erps' most important decision was to leave Reading five years ago to spend the 2018-19 season on foreign soil in the German Bundesliga Frauen, playing for six-time Women's League finalist champions Wolfsburg.
Patrick Platins was the club's goalkeeping coach at the time and he recalls working with a player who was highly focused, determined and willing to learn something new every day. However, it has not been an easy year for Erps, who was left out of the starting line-up as a substitute goalkeeper behind Germany's Almut Schult.
«I think she needed this year at Wolfsburg to be where she is now,» Platins told the former Arminia Bielefeld and Wolfsburg goalkeeper. “It was a game changer for her. [Being number two] she learned how strong she needed to be to beat other goalkeepers. And critically, she discovered how much she could improve by working hard every day in training, even if you don't play matches.
“She really developed over the long term. She always asked for more, she wanted more of herself, she wanted more from every session. She wanted more games and learned a lot this year. After [that season], she knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.
England are ahead in the semi-finals against Australia. Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer
“Mary and Almuth fought for a seat. Almut also has a very strong mentality and she hates to lose and when she is not playing she hates it so there was a tough fight between them.
“It was not easy for Mary to be here in Wolfsburg. when Almut was number one. Mary got closer and closer to Almut over the course of the season, but we thought she might be number one in a few years. It wasn't easy for both of them, they both wanted to play and we don't have many cup games in Germany so it's not as easy to change goalkeepers for other cups as it is in England.»
Platins, who currently still works in Wolfsburg, said it was a privilege to work with Earps because of her high performance: “She worked hard every single day. I like it as a coach, it's really cool. Sometimes you work with goalkeepers who say «Oh, I'm just number two» and they do less work, but all the time Mary wanted to learn.
«Her best skill is her reaction, it's her the greatest quality. And she has no fear. If she enters a situation one-on-one or blocks the situation, she enters without fear.
“Another great thing about Mary is that she can read the game. She anticipates what will happen next before the other players know about it. Not forgetting that she has a really good character. These are Mary Earps' great skills.
“During her season [at Wolfsburg] she worked very hard on her body. She has also done additional fitness work. We also focused on her position management. Another thing that stands out is her attention. She has a strong mentality. In the German league, every opponent considers Wolfsburg their most important game of the season, because they want to beat Wolfsburg, they want to kill Wolfsburg, so in Wolfsburg you have to be a bright personality, always try to improve and be real professional.
Erps joined Manchester United in 2019 as a first choice goalkeeper and has never looked back domestically. One of her closest friends at United — although she is now signed to Arsenal — was her England teammate Alessia Russo.
“First of all, Mary is one of the best people,” Russo said. “She is someone I really admire and have learned a lot from. I think she has a really wise head on her shoulders and has seen and seen a lot and seeing where she is now makes me so happy.
Last year, FIFA named Earps the best goalkeeper in the world. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Regan
«I think few people remember the days — not so long ago — when she wasn't even considered for England, and yes, people didn't consider her, and I think if you understood how far she's come and how much work she's put in, it's incredible. She fully deserved the FIFA Best award not only as a player, but also as a leader. The way she helps this team is incredible and I'm glad she's one of my closest friends.»
Earps may be successful now, but she's not the type to put up with it; she strives to reach great heights. «I thought winning trophies would make me feel, 'OK, cool, I did it, now I can celebrate it, now I can relax.' In fact, it's the complete opposite. It just makes you raise your standards even higher and makes you want to win even more.
“It's like the fire in your stomach that I've always had. But I think you are always trying to achieve something that you don't know if it's possible. To really achieve these goals, I just want to fill my office with more trophies and medals.”
One more is at stake on Sunday. Earps has kept three clean sheets in this tournament so far and has only lost penalties, a cross that seemed to go wrong and inadvertently looped, and Sam Kerr's long-range screamer in the semi-finals. Another good performance could lead to her becoming World Champion, and according to those who know her best, no one has put more effort into making it happen.
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