Ex-United star set for spicy reunion next season as she seals move to rival WSL club – official

London City Lionesses have confirmed the signing of former Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, who has put pen to paper on a two-year contract. United spell United announced Earps’ departure in the summer of 2024 after a five-year spell in which she racked up 125 appearances. She left as a free agent to join Paris Saint-Germain. Talks had been ongoing with United for several months over an extension but an agreement could not be found. While at Leigh Sports Village, Earps set new WSL records for most clean sheets in a single season and overall. She also made her mark on United’s history by playing a pivotal role in the club’s first major honour, the Women’s FA Cup, which they won with a 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. On the international stage, Earps won the UEFA Women’s Championship, Women’s Finalissima, SheBelieves Cup and Arnold Clark Cup with England. She retired from international football in May 2025 with a total of 53 caps. Some of the individual accolades that she scooped up include The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for 2022 and 2023, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Glove, 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the 2023 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. After two years in France, Earps has sealed her return to England and will play for London City Lionesses. Earps’ reaction Earps said, “I’m over the moon, I’m really looking forward to it. I think the club speaks to exactly what I stand for, I can’t wait to join and get down to business. This is the first day of the next chapter.” “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. All the conversations have been really positive and every time I spoke with the club, I wanted to hear more.” “The vision and ambition, including the new training facility is incredible and I’m looking forward to seeing that develop, it shows what our owner Michele (Kang) and everyone at the club want to do in terms of really going for it. I think there is something really special here.” The shot-stopper added, “It’s about putting a marker down and saying we want to be competitive in a short space of time. I’m looking forward to working alongside Elene (Lete) and the goalkeeping unit. Elene made some great saves and interventions last season. Hopefully we can bounce off each other and work hard and enjoy it.” “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.” “I’m looking forward to getting to know the players, the staff, 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. I feel I still have so much left to give to the game, and that’s exactly why I chose London City.” “It won’t be easy, the WSL is extremely competitive. 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.” The London City Lionesses finished in sixth place in the WSL, 13 points below United in fourth. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!