Mary Earps breaks silence on Man United exit and says 'I don’t feel it aligns'

Mary Earps has penned an emotional message following confirmation of her Manchester United exit.

The 31-year-old is expected to join Paris Sain-Germain with her five-year stint at United coming to a conclusion at the end of her contract. With that in mind, Earps has posted on social media thanking United and supporters while also delving briefly into her reasons for leaving.

On Instagram, she wrote: "Dear the United family, After 5 years of service to your great club, I have decided that it’s time for a new challenge. It’s a decision I’ve gone backwards and forwards on for some time, and is not one I’ve made lightly.

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"The club is about to undergo a period of transition, and unfortunately I don’t feel it aligns with the timing of where I’m at in my career, therefore I think now is the right time to make a change and embark on a new challenge. There aren’t the right words, or enough words, to express my heartfelt gratitude to you all, but I hope the below comes somewhere close.

"I’m proud to have played every league minute for the badge for the past 5 seasons, and even more proud for us as a team to have broken the record of the most clean sheets in a season in 2023.

"The icing on the cake was winning the FA Cup at Wembley, a trophy I’ve always dreamed of winning, with you all singing at the top of your voices. I could list so many more of my favourite memories, but these in particular I’ll cherish.

"I have loved playing in front of you all, near and far but especially at Leigh Sports Village and Old Trafford. It doesn’t feel real that I won’t be playing in front of you all again next season, and I’m sad we’re saying goodbye. But from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for your incredible support over the years; the ups and the downs, I’m grateful for it all.

"To my teammates, there have been some special people to grace our changing room over the past 5 years. I’m fortunate to have stood alongside you all and I’ll be rooting for you. Although this United chapter has sadly come to a close, I take with me a heart full of incredible memories.

"Thank you for welcoming me as one of your own and letting me be a part of your club. I wish you all the very best for the future and I hope I can continue to make you proud in my next chapter. GGMU. Your number 27, Mary x." United also posted their own heartfelt statement on X (formerly Twitter) announcing her departure.

The statement on the club's official website read: "Manchester United Women can confirm that goalkeeper Mary Earps will depart the football club, following the conclusion of her contract. "Mary joined United in 2019 and went on to make a total of 125 appearances in red, breaking the record for WSL clean sheets in one season and overall, respectively.

"Last season, Mary made history for United by beating Tottenham 4-0 at Wembley in the Women’s FA Cup Final to lift our first major trophy." The official X account for United's men's team also paid tribute to Earps saying, "Best wishes, Mary — you’ll be missed on and off the pitch [red heart emoji]."