Former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Mary Earps says she is ready to speak publicly about her homosexuality. Ahead of the release of his new autobiography, All In, next week, Arps spoke about his life on and off the pitch, including his “really happy relationship”.
In a statement to the BBC, Arps said: “I have always tried to separate my personal and professional lives, but it would have felt inauthentic not to write about something so important to me in this book. I am in a really happy relationship.”
“Those closest to me have always known, and now I feel ready and happy to share it with others.”
Arps’ manager Tina Taylor said she hopes that by sharing her personal journey, she will inspire people around the world to find the confidence to live authentically.
“The outpouring of love and support after the World Cup really showed the impact it had on Mary and she was deeply touched by it,” Taylor said. “By sharing details of her life away from football, Mary is telling her story in her own way, something she has never done before. It is honest and authentic.”
Celebrities have long faced intrusion into their private lives by the media, especially regarding sexuality. However, compared to men’s soccer, women’s soccer has significantly more openly gay players.
In contrast, there were no openly gay or bisexual players at the 2022 Men’s World Cup. Mr. Arps has frequently spoken about the importance of being a trailblazer and a positive role model.
In an interview in August 2024, she said: “I’m a very ambitious person, a very hard-working person, and I really enjoy pushing boundaries and trying to be a pioneer of change in many ways, and I hope I can do that for the rest of my career.”
“As Lionesses, one of the things that really sets us apart from other teams is how strong we are about our values and what we stand for.”
The former Lionesses goalkeeper was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, an honor she called “incredible”. Received MBE from Prince William in May 2024.
Also in May, Arps dramatically retired from international football ahead of this year’s Euros, which will be held in Switzerland. Sarina Wigman’s team continued to retain the trophy, with Hannah Hampton playing a key role in their success.
