You solely have to take a look at Earps’ particular person accolades to understand her high quality as a goalkeeper. A two-time Fifa girls’s goalkeeper of the 12 months, the golden glove winner on the 2023 World Cup, BBC Sports activities Persona of the 12 months – the listing is countless.
She needed to combat laborious for the gloves on the worldwide stage, making her debut in opposition to Switzerland in June 2017 however solely incomes an extra seven caps over the following three years within the face of competitors from Karen Bardsley, Carly Telford and fellow teen Ellie Roebuck.
Wiegman’s arrival in 2021 proved a turning level, with Earps beginning every of her first seven video games in cost and occurring to be ever current throughout Euro 2022, the 2023 World Cup – together with a memorable penalty save to disclaim Jenni Hermoso within the remaining, and the 2023 Girls’s Nations League.
Nonetheless, for the reason that starting of 2024, Wiegman has favoured rotating her goalkeepers, deciding on Hampton in six of England’s previous 10 matches.
The pair traded locations in friendlies in opposition to Austria, Italy, Germany and South Africa final 12 months. Earps gained the gloves for November’s much-anticipated assembly with the USA, holding a clear sheet within the course of, however was changed by Hampton in opposition to Switzerland three days later.
Crucially, the Chelsea keeper, who has six clear sheets in 13 caps, has been chosen in three of England’s 4 Girls’s Nations League matches, together with the win over world champions Spain.
Earps is, by far, the extra skilled goalkeeper, incomes 53 caps for England and holding 26 clear sheets. And she or he’s been in good type since swapping Manchester United for Paris St-Germain final summer time, conceding simply 12 targets in 17 league outings.
Nonetheless, Hampton can also be having fun with a formidable marketing campaign. Establishing herself as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, she has conceded 13 targets in 18 WSL matches – a file bettered by solely Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce – and featured of their previous three Girls’s Champions League outings.
And with Hampton, who beforehand performed for Birmingham Metropolis and Aston Villa, eight years youthful than 32-year-old Earps, is that this an indication that Wiegman and England need to the long run?
