Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps felt 'villainized' after retirement

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps said she felt villainized after she announced her retirement from international soccer ahead of the European Championship.

Earps became a national hero for her role in England's victory at the last Euros in 2022 and its run to the World Cup final a year later.

But she has spoken out about the treatment she received when deciding to end her England career last month — just weeks before the team starts its defense of the trophy in Switzerland.

Earps did not specify where the criticism came from, but said it was “difficult and it was painful” and that she was “villainized in a way.”

The 32-year-old Paris Saint-Germain keeper won the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after the World Cup, in which she collected the golden glove for the best goalkeeper in the tournament and also saved a penalty in the final.

At the time of her retirement, Earps said she was stepping aside to give an opportunity to a younger generation.

Speaking to the podcast "Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place," she said it was difficult to see her friends and family dealing with comments made about her decision.

“I know you’ve seen something and then I’m like upset for them because I’m like ‘You didn’t choose this, you’ve got to now deal with this,’ and I’m then gutted for them,” she said.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - England's Mary Earps waves to supporters after the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s motorcade took a different route than usual to the airport as he was departing Florida on Sunday due to a “suspicious object,” according to the White House.

The object, which the White House did not describe, was discovered during security sweeps in advance of Trump’s arrival at Palm Beach International Airport.

“A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.

The president, when asked about the package by reporters, said, “I know nothing about it.”

Trump left his Palm Beach, Florida, club, Mar-a-Lago, around 6:20 p.m. for the roughly 10-minute drive to the airport, but took a circular route around the city to get there.

During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade, at one point almost colliding with the vans that accompanied Trump.

Air Force One was parked on the opposite side of the airport from where it is usually located and the lights outside the plane were turned off.

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for U.S. Secret Service, said the secondary route was taken just as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”

President Donald Trump departs Trump International Golf Club in the presidential limousine, known as The Beast, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)