What Mary Earps’ departure and brutal breakup message reveals about Manchester United

“After five years of service in your great club, I decided that it was time to take on a new challenge.”

That’s how Mary Earps’ farewell Instagram post began after Manchester United announced the 31-year-old goalkeeper would be leaving the club after her contract expired. The fact that she said “your great club” was telling. Despite making 125 appearances for the club since joining in 2019, Earps was already distancing herself.

“The club is about to go through a period of transition,” she continued. “Unfortunately, I don’t think it fits with where I am in my career.”

Earps’ departure to Paris Saint-Germain is no surprise, but it will still have repercussions on and off the pitch. She’s not the only first-team regular to leave United this summer – club captain Katie Zelem and FA Cup final player Lucia Garcia are also leaving – but Earps is the most high-profile. That United waited until the end to announce her departure was a clear acknowledgement that she was a key part of their brand, particularly since England won Euro 2022.

On the pitch, Earps has been a mainstay for United, starting every WSL game over the last four seasons. No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets than Earps since her United debut in 2019 (46) and she won the WSL Golden Glove in 2022-23.

Her performances for England tend to overshadow those she has achieved for Manchester United, but that has not stopped her from capitalising on her international success at club level. She has proven herself to be a great specialist in promoting her own talent, thanks to the many accolades she has received.

In the last two years, she has won the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award twice, as well as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 and England Women’s Player of the Year 2022-23. Above all, she has been very good at turning these moments into expressions of gratitude, reflecting the sudden upward trajectory her career has taken in 2022.

“This message goes out to anyone who has ever been through a tough time. Just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going. You can achieve anything you want,” Earps said in a speech that went viral upon receiving his first FIFA award in 2022.

“Sometimes success is just collecting trophies. Sometimes it’s just waking up and taking one step in front of the other. There’s only one example in the world and that’s more than enough. Be yourself without any complexes.”

From her public complaint that Nike wasn’t selling the women’s goalkeeper jersey ahead of the 2023 World Cup to her “f*** off” shout after saving Spain striker Jenni Hermoso’s penalty in the final (England eventually lost), Earps has won fans’ hearts. This is evident in her TikTok following of 1.2 million, which far outstrips Manchester United’s local lioness Ella Toone’s 700,000 followers.

Earps’ rapid rise to success is a great story within a United side that has been good at developing players like her. After being reformed in 2018, United gave a number of England players the opportunity to grow with them as they climbed the upper echelons of the women’s game. Leah Galton, Zelem and Millie Turner were all 21 or over when they joined United in 2018 but have gone on to become crucial players. The latter two have gone on to make their way into the senior England squad; Galton declined a call-up out of personal preference.

In addition to these older players, the club has been able to develop young talents like Toone, Alessia Russo, Lauren James and Ona Batlle. But with Toone as the only one still at the club, United looks more like a revolving door than a place for less established players to thrive. Just look at the number of departures over the last two seasons: 17 players left last summer.

Under the new management, the women’s team are set to play second fiddle to the men, with the team set to be moved into portable cabins to accommodate the redevelopment of Carrington. Earps’ reference to a “transition period” suggests she has little faith in what lies ahead. It’s another reminder of United’s failure throughout their short history to retain their brightest talents. From manager Casey Stoney to players like James, Russo and now Earps, much of the good they cultivated has been squandered.

Manchester United are better prepared for Earps’ departure than in previous outings thanks to the signing of Phallon Tullis-Joyce last summer. The 27-year-old American has impressed in her handful of appearances (four in the Continental Cup group stage) and should be a suitable replacement for Earps, whether or not United look to sign another goalkeeper.

But Earps’ departure is less about the reality on the pitch than what it says about United. The fact that one of England’s most famous footballers is publicly expressing his lack of confidence in the club’s future is deeply damaging. Sure, there will always be new players and even new stars, but none come close to the commercial popularity that Earps has achieved. United used to be an environment that fostered that popularity for players. That’s not the case anymore.

(Top photo: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)