When Mary Earps joined Paris Saint-Germain this summer, she talked about her desire to get out of her comfort zone, win trophies and play for one of the best teams in Europe. But while elimination in Champions League qualifying has cast serious doubt over that status, and raised questions about PSG’s ability to challenge for titles, she might not have expected a new personal challenge to have consisted of battling for the No.1 shirt, either.
It's not been an easy first few weeks for the Lionesses star. Adapting to life in a foreign country, with an unfamiliar language and a different culture, is tough enough, as is settling into a new team. To have also encountered a number of somewhat surprising stumbling blocks on the pitch then, will not have helped.
It all comes in what will be a huge season for Earps. At the end of it, England will head to Switzerland to defend their European title, one Earps played a huge part in the Lionesses winning at Wembley back in 2022. But with Hannah Hampton thriving at Chelsea, will she still be in Sarina Wiegman’s starting line-up come July? A strong year in France would go a long way in helping her secure that spot - and she is going to have to show all of her quality to overcome some obstacles on the path to achieving it.