Mary Earps recently lost her spot in the England XI to Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton (Picture: Getty) Lionesses icon Siobhan Chamberlain has slammed Mary Earps over his shock England retirement, insisting that her timing has been ‘awful’. Former England goalkeeper Chamberlain, who played 50 games for the Lionesses from 2004 to 2018, has accused Earps of throwing a ‘grenade’ into Sarina Wiegman’s plans for the 2025 Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Earps, named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023 after her performances at the Women’s World Cup, recently lost her spot in the England XI to Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton and decided to quit this week. Chamberlain has no doubt that England manager Wiegman has been left ‘angry’ at Earps as she shared her opinion on ITV 4 on Friday evening. Speaking ahead of England’s Women’s Nations League match against Portugal, Chamberlain said: ‘[Earps’ decision was] a huge shock. ‘I don’t think anyone expected it and I think it blindsided Sarina Wiegman. She’s a meticulous planner. It threw a bit of a grenade into her plans.’ Quizzed if Earps had betrayed her country, Chamberlain added: ‘There’s been a lot of harsh words. I think betrayal is a very harsh word in football but would Sarina have been angry? Would she have been frustrated? Absolutely she would have been and rightly so. The timing is awful.’ "The timing is poor because of the implications it has for the team." 🗯️The ITV Sport team discuss Mary Earps' decision to retire from international duty 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿@NicenNeetz | @Sio_Chamberlain | @losada_vicky | @KatieShanahan3 pic.twitter.com/5U4Zmj3d73— ITV Football (@itvfootball) May 30, 2025 Mary Earps’ retirement ‘will leave a gaping hole’ for England Earps decision to retire from international duty ahead of this summer’s major tournament is a massive blow for England as they look to defend their Euros crown – and has left several former Lionesses disappointed. ‘I was disappointed to hear the news,’ former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live. ‘She has been pivotal to all the success we have had in recent years. She has had an incredible international career and it will leave a gaping hole.’ Mary Earps’ decision left Sarina Wiegman ‘really disappointed’ (Picture: PA) England boss Wiegman, speaking on Thursday about the bombshell news, said: ‘I’m really disappointed, I want her in my team.’ Despite her international retirement, Earps is still continuing her club career with French side Paris Saint-Germain, having joined them in 2024 from Manchester United. Mary Earps announces break from social media Mary Earps admits it’s been a ‘difficult and emotional few days’ (Picture: PA) Earps, who was crowned The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper in both 2022 and 2023, has announced that she is taking a break from social media. ‘It’s been a difficult and emotional few days – I can’t tell you how much I appreciate every single message of support,’ she posted on Instagram. ‘I’m coming off socials for a bit. There are a few pre-planned contractual ads that need posting. ‘So my management will be running my account while I’m gone. ‘Wishing the girls all the best for the game tonight and on Tuesday – I’ll be cheering you all on.’ Earps, who earned the nickname ‘Mary Queen of Stops’, played a total of 53 games for England, helping the country land the Euro 2022 trophy.