Mary Earps Signs with London City Lionesses for WSL Return

Mary Earps is coming back to the WSL, and she is not slipping quietly through the side door.

London City Lionesses have landed one of the defining goalkeepers of her generation, announcing the signing of the former England No 1 on a two-year deal. The 33-year-old will officially join on July 1, when her contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

This is not a nostalgic homecoming. It is a power move.

A champion returns

Earps last played in the WSL for Manchester United, where she became the backbone of a side trying to crash the established order. Across five seasons in red she made 102 appearances and kept 45 clean sheets, numbers that helped elevate United from ambitious project to genuine contender.

Two years on, she returns to a league that has grown sharper, richer, more unforgiving. She also returns as a player who has lived the very top of the game.

Earps was central to England’s Euro 2022 triumph, a commanding presence and emotional anchor during that summer’s surge to glory. A year later she helped steer the Lionesses all the way to the World Cup final, reinforcing her status as one of the elite keepers in world football.

Then came the jolt. Last summer, just five weeks before the Euros, she retired from international duty in a shock announcement after losing her starting spot to Hannah Hampton. For a player who had fought so hard for her place, it felt abrupt, almost brutal.

So this next chapter matters.

Why London City?

Earps has not chosen the comfort of an established superclub. She has chosen a newcomer with sharp elbows.

London City were promoted to the WSL for the first time last season and finished sixth. Respectable. Not spectacular. A team that showed it belongs, but also one that knows the climb has only just begun.

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

The language is telling. This is about identity as much as ambition.

"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 explained. "All the conversations have been really positive and every time I spoke with the club I wanted to hear more."

The project has hooks. A new training facility is on the way. Owner Michele Kang has made it clear she is not here to make up the numbers, and Earps has seen enough to buy in.

"The vision and ambition, including the new training facility, is incredible and I'm looking forward to seeing that develop," Earps said. "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."

Fixing the weak spot

Ambition is one thing. Fixing flaws is another.

Eder Maestre’s side conceded 35 goals last season, more than the league average of 32. For a team talking about breaking into the traditional top four, that number glares. It had to change.

Earps changes it.

There is more to this than shot-stopping, though she remains outstanding there. London City are buying presence, authority, and a goalkeeper who has managed high-pressure moments on the biggest stages in the sport.

She will work alongside Elene Lete, who impressed last season and will now share a training pitch with one of the best in the business.

"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."

That dynamic will be crucial. London City do not just want stars; they need a functioning, ruthless unit.

A star among stars

This is not an isolated splash. London City are assembling a cast that looks more like a Champions League regular than a second-year WSL side.

The club hold strong interest in Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona. If they pull that off, it would be the GOAT of signings for a club of this size and history.

The money and intent come from Kang, the free-spending owner backing London City’s rapid rise. Big names are walking through the door. Big expectations follow.

History offers warnings. Superteams do not always sing in harmony. The men’s game is littered with examples of star-studded squads that never quite clicked – the PSG trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe being the most obvious, and most scrutinised.

The same question hangs over London City now: how do you blend status, ego, and style into something coherent?

What is clear is that Earps is not a luxury signing. She is a structural one.

"There is no doubt Earps is a huge signing for London City and one that significantly improves them," as Sky Sports' Laura Hunter put it. With the club aiming to disrupt the WSL’s old guard, the margins at the back will define how far they can actually go.

“So much left to give”

Earps speaks like someone who still feels slightly unfinished in the game.

"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."

Then comes the line that underpins the whole move.

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

This is not a gentle glide towards retirement. It is a goalkeeper choosing a club that mirrors her own urgency.

Earps knows what awaits. The WSL is deeper and more competitive than when she left.

"It won't be easy, the WSL is extremely competitive," she said. "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 climb. Earps wants to prove she still belongs at the summit.

If both are right, the established order in the WSL is about to feel a very real shove.