Wiegman Defends Goalkeeper Selection Amid Earps Criticism

England women's national team head coach Sarina Wiegman addressed criticism from former goalkeeper Mary Earps for the first time on Tuesday, defending her decision to select Hannah Hampton as the starting goalkeeper ahead of the 2025 European Championship. Speaking at Wembley Stadium during the announcement of her squad for upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana, Wiegman emphasized that her choices prioritize team success.

Earps, who retired from international football weeks before the tournament in Switzerland last summer, detailed her grievances in her recently released autobiography, "All In." In the book, she described feeling that the decision to bring back Hampton, who had previously been dropped from the squad, rewarded poor behavior and involved a lack of honesty from Wiegman. Earps, who had been England's No. 1 goalkeeper during their 2022 European Championship victory and the 2023 World Cup final, announced her retirement after learning she would not start.

Wiegman, however, maintained that the choice stemmed from a competitive environment among a strong group of goalkeepers. "We had two incredible goalkeepers within the goalkeepers group, and at the end, I made...