Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps is in a “happy” lesbian relationship.

Mary Earps, the former England goalkeeper, told the BBC that she “feels ready and happy to announce” that she is in a same-sex relationship.

The 32-year-old has chosen to reveal details about her sex life ahead of the upcoming publication of her memoir, in which she discusses her “really happy relationship”.

The BBC has learned that Earps decided to publish a statement confirming her sexuality so that it would be shared on her own terms and would not distract from other topics in the book, including her struggle with mental health.

Earps hopes her opening up about her life off the field will “inspire people around the world to find the confidence to live authentically,” said her manager, Tina Taylor.

Erbes, who now plays football in France for Paris Saint-Germain, exclusively told the BBC that she had always tried to keep her personal life separate from her professional life, but that she would feel “inauthentic” if she did not share details of something she considered “very important to her”.

Her manager told the BBC that the former Manchester United player wanted to share her story “in her own way.”

“After the World Cup, the outpouring of love and support for Mary showed the impact she had made, and I was deeply moved by it,” she said.

“By sharing details of her life away from football – something she has never done before – Mary tells her story in her own way. It is honest and real.”

Compared to the men’s game, women’s football has more openly gay players.

There were no openly gay or bisexual players at the 2022 Men’s World Cup.

In contrast, the 2023 Women’s World Cup had more than 40 lesbian or bisexual players.

Earps has reportedly been encouraged and supported by her former Lionesses teammates after she recently spoke out about her relationship with them.

“I’ve always tried to keep my personal life separate from my professional life, but I would feel inauthentic if I didn’t include something very important to me in this book,” Earps said in a statement to the BBC.

“I’m in a really happy relationship. The people closest to me have always known that, and I feel ready and happy to share that with everyone now.”

The goalkeeper, who grew up in Nottingham, was a key part of the Lionesses side that won the Women’s European Championship in 2022 and was vice-captain of the team during the Women’s World Cup in 2023, which saw England lose the final to Spain.

She was also crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023, which she described as an “amazing” experience.

In May 2024, she received an MBE from Prince William.

She has spoken publicly several times about the importance of being a “pioneer” and role model.

“I’m a very ambitious person, a very hard-working person, and I think trying to push the boundaries and trying to be a leader for change, in many ways, is something I really enjoy, and I hope I can do for the rest of my career,” she said in an August 2024 interview.

“As Lionesses, one of the things that really sets us apart from other teams is how strong we are in our values ​​and what we stand for.”

In the age of social media, celebrities often have power over how and when they announce their sexuality — or even if they do so at all.

In past decades, pop stars, actors and football players have suffered serious consequences due to press intrusion into their sex lives.

But this kind of intervention is not something limited to history.

In 2023, when actress Rebel Wilson first shared details of her same-sex relationship, there was an Australian media reckoning after it became clear she did so because a journalist planned to reveal details of the relationship in a gossip column.

For most people in the community, “coming out” isn’t something you do just once — in fact, Earps’ statement says she’s already been open about her sexuality with those close to her.

So the decision to go public with her opinion to her fans, especially young people who consider her a role model, is something she thought about a lot.

In her own words, the goalkeeper says it would have felt “fake” not to announce something that was “very important” to her.