Mary Earps has revealed she has received a commitment from Nike that the manufacturer will never again fail to make replica shirts for girls and women after the controversy over the England keeper’s kit during the World Cup this summer.
Earps, the BBC’s new Sports Personality of the Year, said 12 months of off-field struggle for the stars of women’s football has been “par for the course”, but she acknowledged the small act of getting her shirt into places where young fans can see it has been a victory all the same.
“It was more fighting for the principle than anything,” she said. “It’s about the message being sent out before being really damaging and now you don’t have that. Representation, visibility, is so important and [now] young girls or adults or whoever wants the shirts can have access to them.
“I’ve had that commitment from Nike that it will never happen again and I’m sure other sports brands will follow suit. OK, we might be complaining there’s not enough, but I’d take that complaint over there being absolutely none, any day of the week.”
There have been two print runs of Earps replica shirts since the World Cup, when England finished as runners-up to Spain and Earps was named best goalkeeper. It was also blighted by the actions of the then Spanish Football Association president, Luis Rubiales.
While Earps’s talent and effusive personality made her a hit with the Spoty voting public, she was also recognised for her willingness to speak up. The 30-year-old believes this is a quality shared by many players in the women’s game, one that is sadly necessary.
“I’m a driven, hungry athlete. I want to win all the trophies there are on offer and I don’t want to stop until I’ve got a full cabinet,” she said. “The other side of me realises that life is a lot bigger than that and football, sport is a vehicle for change.
“I believe we can all change the world even in a small way by using our voices, having strong values and doing the right things. In whatever I do I try to have integrity and hopefully that will leave a legacy for many years to come.
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“I feel like [the struggle for female athletes] is par for the course. There’s always adversity. Those battles have always been ongoing and will continue and I’m not sure if women’s football is stronger for them. I just think we’re very good at coming together when there’s injustice, so that’s what sets us apart. We’ll keep fighting to make the right changes.