Goalkeeping superstar Mary Earps is the most recent cover star of Sky Sports Editions – a series showcasing original stories from leading women across sport, as told by the athletes themselves and crossing the worlds of sport and fashion as they design their own magazine cover.
On her nickname “Mary Queen of Stops”
“I don’t know if that came from the Euros or the World Cup, I’m not really sure. But its not the worst thing I’ve been called so I’ll definitely take it.”
On misconceptions of her:
“I think especially after the Euros you have to have those boundaries to relax and rest at night.”
On setting boundaries:
“I think especially after the Euros you have to have those boundaries to relax and rest at night. I think I’m still trying to figure that out, I think the last couple of years its changed a lot and I feel like I have an even bigger responsibility to kind of give back and spend more time with the fans and maybe do things for the game that aren’t necessarily benefitting me, they’re benefitting a future generation.”
Using social media to show her personality
“When I was growing up I used to be constantly on and super intense. It was harder then to have that separation from my football. It actually helped me being able to have that switch off time and just be me. It’s a way I can interact with the fans, it’s a way the fans can get to know me a little bit. On the pitch I’m super intense, super serious. I want to be the best, I want to win every game but then on the flipside, off the pitch, I don’t like to take life too seriously. I want to enjoy what I do and laugh while doing it.”
On her fashion and style
“I don’t really see myself as being in the fashion world, I don’t see myself as being stylish in any which way. I just wear what I like and it might not be what my teammates in the dressing room think is cool but its what I like and its kind of the rules that I try and play by.”
On her look for Sky Sports Editions
“I feel like people will look at it and be like ‘yeah that’s Mary she’s wearing whatever she wants again.’ They might hate it or they might like it, I don’t know!”
On which Lionesses’ wardrobe she’d be most likely to raid:
“Leah’s (Williamson), Alessia’s (Russo) or Robuck’s. They’re the ones, they’re the stylish ones, they’re the guru’s. We are not worthy. They wouldn’t come to me for style tips, none of them would, but what you see is what you get.”
If she was to have a hidden microphone whilst playing we’d hear…
“A lot of profanity I think, I’m just super passionate and a few of the girls have said to me that when we’re playing small sided games, they’ll just listen to the stuff that comes out my mouth because its just random and kind of unfiltered. Its exactly what I’m thinking. I’m very competitive, I play to win, I play hard. I don’t like to lose.”
On living life by her own rules
“Its important to be yourself all the time. I think I pride myself on being a bit of a goofball but I’m just kind of a normal person who’s just trying to see how far she can go in her career and just tries to be authentically herself.”
Episode seven of Sky Sports Editions is available to watch on Sky Sports YouTube
