August 23, (THEWILL) – England goalkeeper, Mary Earps, has spoken out against Nike over the company’s statement about the unavailability of her jersey.
Nike had said it understood fans’ desire for a retail version of the women’s national team goalkeeper jersey but stated solutions would come in future tournaments. Earps was critical of Nike’s statement, calling it unsatisfactory.
She was unable to provide fans with her jersey replica during the recent Women’s World Cup, where she won the Golden Glove award as England reached the final. Nike’s statement came after the final, but Earps said it was not a sufficient apology or accountability for the lack of jersey availability.
The Manchester United keeper posted Nike’s statement on her Instagram account and questioned if it was enough of a response. She also shared a Change.org petition calling for the support of female goalkeepers like herself, which has over 130,000 signatures. Nike had lost potential earnings after the US women’s early World Cup exit but saw high demand for England jerseys during their run to the final. The company said before the final that demand for the Lionesses jersey had been very strong.
In contrast to the lack of Earps’ jersey, the England men’s goalkeeper jersey is readily available for fans to purchase. This discrepancy prompted Earps to speak out against Nike’s statement she felt did not sufficiently address the issue.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
