Mary Earps’ England goalkeeper shirt has already sold out after Nike finally put the product on sale following a backlash during the World Cup.
Earps received widespread support after she hit out at the ‘extremely hurtful’ decision not to sell her shirt during the tournament, with over 170,000 people signing a petition calling on the kit manufacturer to change their mind.
It is understood Nike originally decided against selling Earps’ shirt for commercial reasons but a U-turn was made in August when they announced they would retail limited quantities.
The goalkeeper shirts were finally put on sale on Monday but no announcement was made, meaning several fans missed out on the chance to buy one.
Three colour options – green, yellow and pink, were available to supporters.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps hit out at ‘extremely hurtful’ decision not to sell her shirt
Nike put the ‘Earps 1’ replica jerseys on sale following a backlash during the World Cup
A shirt with ‘Earps 1’ on the back retailed for £99.95 but are now selling for double the price on eBay.
It is understood that more of Earps’ shirts will be made available later this year and that Nike have made a commitment to provide a greater supply of England women’s shirts in the future.
A statement from Nike in August read: ‘The England GK jersey will be available in limited quantities on the FA’s website, in the coming weeks, and we are currently working to make youth GK jerseys available by the holiday season.
‘We are committed to retailing women’s goalkeeping jerseys for major tournaments in the future.’
Earps, who was named FIFA Best goalkeeper earlier this year, spoke passionately during the World Cup on Nike’s decision not to sell her shirt for a second tournament running.
‘On a personal level it’s obviously hugely hurtful, considering the last 12 months especially,’ Earps said.
A shirt with ‘Earps 1’ on the back retailed for £99.95 but are selling for double the price on eBay
‘For my own family, friends and loved ones not to be able to buy my shirt, they’re just going to come out and wear normal clothes. All my team-mates, they’ve ordered a lot of shirts for their friends and family, they’re talking at the dinner table “I wasn’t able to get this” and I’m saying “I wasn’t able to get it at all”.
‘I know there’s a lot of people who have spent a tremendous amount of money on outfield shirts and then put ‘1 Earps’ on the back, which doesn’t sit well with me either.
‘It’s a very scary message that’s being sent to goalkeepers worldwide that “you’re not important.”
‘A lesson I’ve learned is that I should have made a public statement sooner maybe. I look back on it and I’ve tried everything. I offered to fund it myself and my team-mates have been really supportive.’
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround after being dropped from England squad in 2019 and considered retirement.
She hit a million followers on TikTok on Monday.
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