Mary Earps Joins London City Lionesses: A New Chapter
Mary Earps is coming home. And she is not easing her way back in.
The former England No 1 has signed a two-year deal with London City Lionesses after leaving Paris St-Germain, a move that underlines both her own intent and the ruthless ambition of one of the Women’s Super League’s newest disruptors.
At 33, with a mural outside Old Trafford and a medal cabinet that tells the story of a generation, Earps could have chosen comfort. Instead, she has walked straight into a project that wants to sprint, not stroll.
“I feel the club aligns with what I stand for. I can't wait to get started and to get down to business,” she said, her words as sharp as her positioning in the box.
A serial winner joins a club in a hurry
Earps leaves France after two seasons at PSG, where she made 22 league appearances this campaign and kept 12 clean sheets. PSG finished third in the Première Ligue, 13 points behind Lyon, but her numbers remained those of an elite goalkeeper still operating at full stretch.
This is not a farewell tour. It is a statement signing.
London City, backed by wealthy American businesswoman Michele Kang, finished sixth in their first WSL season in 2025-26. Respectable. Impressive, even. But not enough for a club that has spent the summer acting like it belongs at the sharp end of the table.
Earps is the headline arrival, yet she is not alone. The Lionesses are set to bring in Spain defender Mapi Leon and are in ongoing talks with two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas after her departure from Barcelona. These are not the moves of a side content with consolidation.
“It’s about putting a marker down and saying we want to be competitive in a short space of time,” Earps said. The message is clear: mid-table was the start, not the destination.
From Old Trafford icon to London standard-bearer
Earps arrives in London with a legacy already carved into English football.
Twice named Fifa Best Goalkeeper of the Year, she was central to England’s Euro 2022 triumph and their run to the 2023 World Cup final. For club and country, she became the standard, the reference point, the one others measured themselves against.
Her five-year spell at Manchester United yielded more than 100 appearances and, crucially, the club’s first major trophy in 2024 when they lifted the Women’s FA Cup. That period turned her into one of the most recognised and influential players in the country.
The relationship between Earps and United had its complexities. Her book, released in November, triggered weeks of headlines and controversy, pushing her far beyond the usual confines of the penalty area and into the wider cultural conversation.
Yet when she returned to Old Trafford earlier this season with PSG in the Women’s Champions League, the response cut through the noise. At full-time, home fans rose to applaud her. Outside, the mural of Earps on the stadium wall did the rest of the talking, a permanent reminder of what she gave the club.
By the time she retired from international football in 2025, she had collected a haul of individual honours that would have justified a quieter next step. Instead, she has chosen a club trying to bend the WSL to its will.
A new training ground, a new challenge
What drew her to London City? Vision. Infrastructure. And a sense that the club is straining against its current ceiling.
“The club's values represent what I want to represent and they are passionate about what I want to achieve,” she said. “All the conversations have been really positive and every time I spoke with the club I wanted to hear more.”
The new training facility, still developing, clearly struck a chord.
“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 [Kang] and everyone at the club want to do in terms of really going for it.”
Clubs often talk about projects. Earps has picked one that is already moving.
No illusions about the WSL
If this sounds like a fairytale return, Earps herself cuts through that idea quickly.
“I feel I still have so much left to give to the game and that's exactly why I chose London City,” she said. “It won't be easy – the WSL is extremely competitive.”
She has seen that evolution first-hand. The league she re-enters is deeper, smarter and more ruthless than the one she left. London City’s sixth-place finish in their debut WSL season was a “brilliant” start in her words, but she knows it counts for little once the next campaign begins.
“Now it's about climbing the table and working towards finishing as high as possible.”
The bar has been set. A newly built training base, a globally respected owner, a recruitment drive targeting some of the biggest names in the women’s game, and now a goalkeeper whose career has been defined by demanding more.
London City Lionesses wanted a leader to match their ambition. In Mary Earps, they have signed a player who has made a habit of turning bold plans into silverware.
