Hannah Hampton has broken her silence as she paid tribute to a ‘true Lioness’ just hours after Mary Earps’ explosive claims about her ‘bad behaviour’ in the England camp.
Earps, 32, dramatically hit out at the conduct of her former understudy, who replaced her in the Lionesses’ first team before this summer’s triumphant European Championships.
Hampton had acted as Earps’ deputy during Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, but worked her into the first team and was one of the heroes of the penalty shoot out against Spain in Basel.
The 24-year-old Chelsea stopper’s performances saw her awarded the Yashin Trophy, which was presented by Earps, at the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards in Paris last month.
It seemingly marked the end of a turbulent period of Hampton’s career, following widespread reports in October 2022 that Lionesses boss Sabrina Wiegman dropped her amid concerns over attitude and conduct.
But Earps, who stepped away from the England camp five weeks before this summer’s Euros, reignited the topic last night as she made bombshell claims about Hampton’s ‘bad behaviour’.
Hannah Hampton was presented the Yachine Trophy by Mary Earps just last month
Hampton has now paid tribute to a ‘true Lioness’ after Earps’ claims about her ‘bad behaviour’
The PSG shot-stopper opened up on the details of her explosive England exit in her new autobiography ‘All In’, which will be released next week but has been serialised in extracts by The Guardian.
Earps, who does not specify what Hampton’s behaviour entailed, claims in the autobiography that Wiegman consulted her when Hampton was recalled to the national squad in 2023 – and told her that ‘everyone deserves a second chance’.
Upon hearing that Hampton would be starting for England in a key Euro 2025 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in April 2024, Earps claims she told Wiegman: ‘I don’t get it. It’s a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded.’
A year later, in April 2025, Wiegman named Hampton her first-choice goalkeeper over Earps, a decision which prompted the former Manchester United star to announce her international retirement just weeks later.
The former Lioness also said Hampton’s actions ‘frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources’.
Just hours after her former team-mate’s dramatic claims, Hampton took to Instagram last night to thank singer Rachel Chinouri, who she described as a ‘true lioness’ accompanied with a winking emoji.
She wrote: ‘Thankyou @glamouruk for this very prestigious honour and for their ongoing support and acknowledgement of women and their successes around the world.
‘Thankyou @rachelchinouriri for presenting the award, it was a true honour to receive this from you with everything you have accomplished, you are a true lioness.’
Hampton was one of the heroes of Sabrina Wiegman’s side as they won this summer’s Euros
Hampton was named one of the Women of the Year this week at the 2025 Glamour awards
Hampton took home the award alongside Demi Moore, Tyla, Sugababes, Adwoa Aboah, Rachel Zegler and the Dolls.
Addressing the crowd in a speech, the keeper said: ‘It is a privilege to be surrounded by so many inspirational women, from so many diverse disciplines. Not only my fellow honourees, but every woman in this world.
‘For me, that inspiration begins at home – with my mum. My mum is my biggest inspiration. She’s shown me what true strength and love look like. No matter how hard life gets, she never gives up – and that gives me the courage to keep going too.
Her resilience and kindness remind me every day why women’s strength is the backbone of every success story.
‘Everything I have achieved over the past year could not have been done without the women around me both on and off the pitch, from the high profile positions as team manager, to backroom and behind-the-scenes staff and of course the women’s players themselves at Chelsea and England.
‘Incredible women supporting one another through both highs and lows of the professional game.
‘This award is not mine alone. It belongs to every girl and woman who has dared to dream, to speak up, to stand tall even when the world tried to silence her. It belongs to the pioneers who paved the way, the daughters who will go further, and the sisters who walk beside us, reminding us that together, we rise higher.
‘Sisterhood is not just a word. It’s a movement. It’s the quiet strength we led each other, the encouragement whispered when doubt creeps in, the celebration of one woman’s success as a victory for us all.
Hampton won Player of the Match against Spain at St Jakob-Park in the Euro 2025 final
Earps was a key member of the Lionesses’ European Championship winning side in 2022
‘When one woman rises, she lifts others with her – and that’s the true meaning of empowerment.
‘To every woman: never underestimate your voice, your with, or your power to create change. Empowered women don’t wait for permission – we build our own tables, pull up extra chairs, and make sure every sister has a seat.
‘Like so many others, I can only hope that the continued visibility of women not just in sport, but in business, technology, and music and the arts, will keep inspiring and empowering the next generation and beyond.’
Addressing the fallout of her alleged behaviour in the England camp, Hampton told Elle magazine in June: ‘It was harder to find that fight in me to prove people wrong, but somehow I managed it.
‘I had all my friends and my family around me at the time to guide me in the right direction and keep me going. It’s worked out for the best – I’ve got a lot to thank them for.’
According to Earps, she was told that Hampton was ‘a little bit ahead of her’ and that there was ‘nothing she had done wrong’.
Earps went on to detail how she was left ‘extremely disappointed’ by the decision — and how she told Wiegman that she ‘could have been more direct and honest’ in her assessment of the situation.
It is claimed Wiegman disagreed and responded by saying that she was communicating openly and had only made her mind up recently.
‘That sounded like bulls*** to me,’ Earps writes.
The memoir provides a full account of Earps’ decision to retire from international football in May, shedding light on tensions within the England squad during their dominant three-year spell, which included consecutive European Championship victories and a run to the 2023 World Cup final.
