Mary Earps becomes first goalkeeper to reach huge WSL appearance milestone
Mary Earps has become the first goalkeeper to make 150 WSL appearances, reaching the impressive milestone during Manchester United’s clash with Chelsea on Sunday night.
However, her run of five consecutive clean sheets ended when the reigning champions became the first team to score against her and United in the league this season.
Earps has previously played in the WSL for Doncaster Belles, Birmingham, Bristol Academy and Reading. She then briefly left England altogether to play for German giants Wolfsburg, before joining United upon the club’s promotion to the WSL in 2019.
The 29-year-old has been an ever-present for United during her three and a bit years at the club and over the last 14 months in particular has arguably become world class.
United boss Marc Skinner first worked with Earps more than a decade ago when he was assistant manager at Leicester and Nottingham-born Earps was an up and coming talent.
Skinner has been repeatedly asked about his star stopper in recent weeks and each time has spoken about her ‘laser focus’, telling an anecdote about seeing her on TV before an England game at Euro 2022 when she was staring down the pitch from the tunnel when others around her were laughing and joking. That mentality has seen her take already good attributes to the next level.
It isn’t just about stot stopping for Earps. She is an incredible communicator, constantly talking the defenders in front of her through games and almost serving as some sort of cheerleader. The confidence it has given the likes of Millie Turner, Maya Le Tissier and Maria Thorisdottir so far this season has been invaluable to the team’s results and performances.
Early in the first half against Chelsea, she shouted ‘Love it!’ when Turner made a commanding clearance. A week earlier again, she was constantly behind Thorisdottir with cries of ‘Maria, more aggressive’. The Norwegian put in her best performance in months.
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