Manchester United and former England goalkeeper Mary Earps received a warm welcome from Paris Saint-Germain supporters when she appeared on the pitch during their warm-up routine, but was then booed by a section of the crowd shortly after the start of the Champions League game.
The Ears returned to Old Trafford this evening for the first time since leaving for the French capital in June 2024. The 32-year-old shot-stopper has been hogging the headlines lately following the publication of his autobiography ‘All In’. One particular passage from his memoir sparked a huge debate when he revealed details of his discussions with England manager Sarina Wigman about Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. Hampton, who played a key role in England’s Euro 2025 victory, faced criticism from Earps ahead of the tournament.
Arps claimed Hampton displayed “disruptive and unreliable” behavior during Euro 2022, and reportedly told Wiegman that the Dutch tactician would “reward bad behavior” by continuing to select the 24-year-old.
These claims sparked intense criticism from England supporters, leading Ms Arps to publicly defend her comments.
In response to the controversy, Arps posted on Instagram: “It’s not easy to be as vulnerable and open as I have been in this book. I also understand that my honesty and rawness will polarize opinion. That’s okay. Everyone has the right to feel what they feel and I respect that.”
Ahead of the game, the shot-stopper admitted he had expected a hostile reception at Old Trafford.
That was not how the night unfolded, at least before kick-off, but jeers flew when Earps first touched the ball, even though most supporters tried to silence the boos with louder applause.
“I probably expect some booing,” she said. “I hope it’s just a little bit, but maybe it’s a big thing. At PSG, some fans came to support me, but United are their number one team and I understand that.”
When asked about the possibility of Earps facing hostility, United manager Mark Skinner also sought to dissuade any potential hostility towards the former goalkeeper.
“I know deep down that Mary is a good person,” he said. “I’m sure part of publishing a book is putting controversial content out there to help sell it. I know she has to defend it publicly.
“There’s no doubt that she’s going to get some criticism that she doesn’t like because we know she’s a human being. That’s part of the flip side of publishing a book.
“But she’s a wonderful person. I don’t really have to say that. I wish people would hold the line against criticism, but I’m sure Mary understands the situation she’s in.
“She’s put herself in a position where people are interested in what she has to say. So it’s a credit to her and her efforts. The goalie she started with and the goalie she left wasn’t the same person. She’s changed.”
When the game gets underway tonight, Ears will aim to disappoint the home crowd with a performance. United entered the match with a perfect record in the Champions League with two wins from two games, while PSG were looking for their first point of the season in the competition.
