Mary Earps Returns to WSL with London City Lionesses

Mary Earps is coming home. Not to Manchester United, not to the England No 1 shirt she once owned, but to a new project with loud intentions and deep pockets: London City Lionesses.

The club have confirmed the signing of the former England goalkeeper on a two-year deal, effective July 1, when her contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires. At 33, with more medals than most dressing rooms can boast between them, Earps has chosen a side with just one WSL season behind it. That choice says as much about London City’s ambition as it does about her.

A proven elite returns

Earps left the WSL two years ago after five seasons at United, where she became the benchmark for goalkeeping standards in the league. She made 102 appearances for the club and kept 45 clean sheets, numbers that underline why her name still carries heavyweight status.

Her international story is already etched into English football history. She was central to England’s Euro 2022 triumph and then to their run to the World Cup final the following summer, a commanding presence on the biggest stages the women’s game has to offer.

Then came the twist. Last summer, five weeks before the Euros, Earps stunned the game by retiring from international duty after losing her starting spot to Hannah Hampton. A glittering England career, gone in a single announcement.

If anyone thought that signalled a gentle winding down, this move suggests the opposite.

“I’m over the moon to join this club and I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “I feel the club aligns with what I stand for. I can’t wait to get started and to get down to business.”

A project with sharp edges

London City are not hiding. Promoted to the WSL for the first time last season, they finished a highly respectable sixth. That would be enough for most newcomers. It is clearly not enough for owner Michele Kang.

The club are aggressively building a squad that looks nothing like a second-year top-flight side. Earps is the latest headline act, and there is strong interest in Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas on a free transfer. That pursuit alone tells you where their sights are set.

Earps has bought into the vision.

“The club’s values represent what I want to represent and they are passionate about what I want to achieve and change the game in a positive way,” she said. “All the conversations have been really positive and every time I spoke with the club I wanted to hear more.

“The vision and ambition, including the new training facility, is incredible and I’m looking forward to seeing that develop. It shows what our owner, Michele, and everyone at the club want to do in terms of really going for it.

“It’s about putting a marker down and saying we want to be competitive in a short space of time.”

That “marker” is clear: London City do not want to survive in the WSL. They want to disrupt it.

Fixing the weak spot

For all the excitement around the project, the numbers from last season tell a cold truth. Eder Maestre’s side conceded 35 goals, above the league average of 32. For a team with ambitions of troubling the established elite, that is a problem.

Earps directly addresses it. She arrives not just as a shot-stopper but as an organiser, a leader, someone who has lived the pressure of tournament football and title races.

She is also stepping into an intriguing internal battle. London City already have Elene Lete, who impressed last season.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside Elene and the goalkeeping unit,” Earps said. “Elene made some great saves and interventions last season. Hopefully, we can bounce off each other and work hard and enjoy it.”

This is not a ceremonial signing. It is a demand for higher standards in a position that can define seasons.

Superstars, chemistry and a bold gamble

The question now hangs over the project: how many big names can one dressing room carry before the balance tips?

Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter called Earps “another coup for London City”, pointing out that the “big-name signings continue to mount – and likely won’t stop at Mary Earps either”. She also noted the obvious modern warning sign: star-studded squads that never quite click. Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG are the cautionary tale, the example of how talent alone cannot guarantee chemistry.

London City are walking that tightrope. They are backed by the riches of a free-spending owner, they are chasing marquee names, and they are doing it all after just one season in the English top flight. It is daring. It is risky. It is compelling.

What is not in doubt is that Earps makes them better. Immediately.

“I still have so much left to give”

Earps’ move is also a personal statement. This is not a farewell tour. It is a challenge she has chosen.

“My message to the fans is that I’m really excited to get started and make some memories together. I can’t wait to play in front of you all,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the players, the style of play and club culture, and trying to give everything I can to help the club achieve its collective goals and be as successful as possible.

“I feel I still have so much left to give to the game, and that’s exactly why I chose London City.

“It won’t be easy, the WSL is extremely competitive. The team had a brilliant 2025/26 season, finishing mid-table in their first season, now it’s about climbing the table and working towards finishing as high as possible.”

London City want to smash the division’s traditional top four. They conceded too many goals to do it last year. Now they have one of the best goalkeepers of her generation standing in front of them.

If this is the marker they’re putting down, how high are they really aiming?