Mary Earps booed by Man Utd fans as Lionesses hero returns to Old Trafford | Football | Sport
Former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Mary Earps received a warm reception from supporters as she emerged onto the pitch during Paris Saint-Germain’s warm-up routine, but she later faced some boos from sections of the crowd during the opening moments of the Champions League encounter.
Earps made her first return to Old Trafford this evening since departing for the French capital in June 2024. The 32-year-old shot-stopper has dominated headlines recently following the publication of her autobiography ‘All In’. A particular passage from the memoir sparked significant debate when she revealed details of a discussion with England manager Sarina Wiegman concerning Chelsea‘s Hannah Hampton. Hampton, who played a crucial role in England’s Euro 2025 triumph, faced criticism from Earps ahead of the tournament.
Earps claimed Hampton displayed ‘disruptive and unreliable’ behaviour during Euro 2022 and reportedly informed Wiegman that the Dutch tactician was ‘rewarding bad behaviour’ by continuing to select the 24-year-old.
These claims prompted fierce criticism from England supporters, leading Earps to publicly defend her remarks.
Following the controversy, Earps posted on Instagram: “It is not easy to be as vulnerable and open as I have been in the book, and I also understand that my honesty and rawness will divide opinion. That’s okay, everyone is entitled to feel what they feel and I respect that.”
Speaking ahead of the fixture, the shot-stopper confessed she anticipated a hostile welcome at Old Trafford.
That wasn’t quite how events unfolded on the evening, at least before kick-off, but Earps was jeered when she first touched the ball, despite most supporters attempting to silence the boos with louder applause.
“I’m probably expecting a little booing,” she said. “I hope it’s a little bit, but it might be a lot. A few of the fans have come out to support me at PSG, but United is their No.1 team. I understand that.”
When questioned about the possibility of Earps facing hostility, United boss Marc Skinner also sought to discourage any potential animosity towards his former goalkeeper.
“Deep down I know Mary is a good person,” he said. “I’m sure part of bringing out a book is bringing out controversial stuff that will help sell the book. I know that she has to defend that publicly.
“Knowing the human she is, I’m sure she will be getting criticism that she won’t like. It’s part of the other side of releasing a book.
“But she’s a great person, she doesn’t need me to say that really. I hope people toe the line with criticism, but I’m sure Mary understands the situation she’s put herself in.
“She’s on a platform where people are interested in what she says, so that’s a credit to her and to her hard work. The goalkeeper we had at the start, to the one that left, was not the same person. She transformed.”
Once the match kicks off tonight, Earps will be aiming to disappoint the home crowd with her performance. United entered the game with a perfect record in the Champions League – two wins from two matches – while PSG were still searching for their first point of the season in the competition.
