Drama has exploded between England women's goalkeepers Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton following the release of excerpts from Earps' new autobiography. The controversy has also dragged England manager Sarina Wiegman into the spotlight, creating quite a stir in women's football.
It all kicked off when The Guardian published parts of Earps' book "All In: Football, Life and Learning to be Unapologetically Me" before its November 6 release. In these excerpts, the 32-year-old former England number one didn't hold back, criticizing both Hampton and Wiegman.
Earps claimed that "bad behavior" was being "rewarded" when Hampton returned to the England squad. She suggested Hampton's actions during Euro 2022 "frequently risked derailing training sessions" but offered no specific examples.
She also called Wiegman's handling of the situation "bull----" and expressed feeling "extremely disappointed" with the manager's decisions. This criticism comes despite Earps previously praising Wiegman elsewhere in the book for taking "no nonsense" with bad behavior.
Hampton's Side of the Story
What makes this situation particularly interesting is Hampton's consistent positivity toward Earps. Before this controversy erupted, Hampton spoke highly of Earps in a Glamour magazine interview, dismissing rumors of bad blood between them.
In fact, when Earps presented Hampton with the best goalkeeper award at the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Hampton called it a "lovely" moment. She even praised Earps, saying: "Everything she's done for the England game and women's football in general is something I've wanted to continue and build on."
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has firmly backed Hampton. After Chelsea's recent 3-0 win, Bompastor criticized Earps, saying her comments showed a lack of respect to both Hampton and Wiegman.
"When you look at what Hannah said previously about Mary Earps then what Mary is saying about her now, one of them is class and Hannah is the class one," Bompastor stated bluntly.
The Bigger Picture
The timing of these events has raised eyebrows. Earps' book announcement coincided with the Ballon d'Or ceremony where Hampton won the inaugural Women's Yashin Trophy – presented by Earps herself.
Some sources suggest this timing was calculated to overshadow Hampton's achievements. The controversial excerpt was also published right before Chelsea's match against London City, potentially aiming to unsettle Hampton.
For bettors following women's football, this situation creates interesting dynamics. Hampton has responded to the pressure brilliantly with three consecutive clean sheets for Chelsea, suggesting the controversy isn't affecting her performance.
This could make Chelsea an even stronger betting prospect in upcoming fixtures as Hampton appears determined to let her performances do the talking.
Earps has since claimed her words were taken out of context, writing on Instagram: "It's gut-wrenching to be portrayed as someone you're not." She insisted her book contains many positive comments that aren't being highlighted.
The full book releases on November 6, which will likely add more fuel to this story. It promises to cover Earps' struggles with depression, her stand-off with Nike, her departure from Manchester United, and many other personal topics.
While Earps has delivered countless iconic moments in her career – from the Euro 2022 triumph to her World Cup heroics – this controversy risks overshadowing her legacy. The drama is far from over, and the football world awaits Hampton's response and the book's full release.
