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There were three huge talking points from the 2023 World Cup. One was the unspeakable kiss that Spain’s football federation president Luis Rubiales planted on Jenni Hermoso as she collected her gold medal, which would later lead to his resignation and prosecution.
The other two talking points both related to me.
My penalty save in the final had been viewed as heroic and, even, perfect. Even people who weren’t into football were excited about the display, praising the execution, the composure and the swearing that followed, which was celebrated by women for its passion and deliverance and criticised by others who would never have picked up on, let alone noticed it, in a man celebrating the biggest save – or any other feat – of his life
I’d been given the new nickname Mary Queen of Stops, and the way the save, or a goalkeeper for that matter, was being talked about was on a scale that was unprecedented in the women’s game. I was buzzing that it had achieved that. I was also taken aback. After all, the stage on which it was seen was huge, but I’d been doing the same thing my whole career, the same repetition, same consistency, same composure, with barely anyone noticing until a year earlier.
Consolidating excitement around the save was the third big story.
The press conference where I’d called out Nike for failing to put on sale replica Lionesses goalkeeper shirts had exploded, triggering headlines and thought pieces and interview requests from news publishers and broadcasters the world over. It had gone far beyond the loyal group of women’s football reporters in the UK, and far beyond sports pages, into outlets covering news, business and women’s issues.
There was even a public petition, started by a young girl called Emmy, with more than 130,000 signatures calling on Nike to do better, which was incredibly touching.
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Nike issued a public response saying it was working towards solutions for future tournaments, and I replied on Instagram with the first thing I’d said about it since the tournament, asking: “Is this your version of an apology/taking accountability/ a powerful statement of intent?”
It was picked up on by the papers all over again, another round of stories, and fans were rallying in a battle that was about goalkeeping but, at its heart, was about representation and equality, something women were fighting for in their own lives and arenas every single day. I had been unafraid and unapologetic in using my voice, and I’d backed it up with performances that demanded visibility too. It resonated.
When Nike saw how many people were listening to what I’d raised off the pitch combined with the number talking about my save on the pitch, they paid attention. A day later, and four days after the final, they did indeed U-turn, and when my shirts began to go on sale a few weeks later, they sold out with each restock. I had taken on a global sports giant and won, entirely from a place of choosing my principles.
This is an edited extract from Mary Earps: All In by Mary Earps (Bonnier Books, £22). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
