Fans of England's women's football team would be able to purchase replicas of the jersey of Lioness goalkeeper Mary Earps after national team kit provider Nike said "limited quantities" would be sold.
The company's decision was influenced not only by Earps's statement but also by England's football fans and even the British government.
Valuing the Goalie More than Ever
The BBC recalled the sportswear brand faced criticism prior to the World Cup, with Earps saying it was "hugely disappointing and very hurtful" that the goalkeeper jerseys would not be made commercially available, unlike the outfielder counterparts her teammates wore. The goalkeeper's remarks were made after Nike earlier stated producing women's goalkeeper kits for public consumption was not part of the company's commercial strategy.
Over 150,000 football fans and supporters responded to the star goalie by signing a petition asking Nike to at least sell the upper portion, or shirts, of the girls' uniforms, especially Earps's goalkeeper kit. The petition was started on July 21 by a 16-year-old football fan named Emmy, who said she wanted to be able to "respect" the players who have changed the perspective of women's football.
As a result, Nike issued a statement saying it now "secured limited quantities" of goalkeeper jerseys for sale.
"We've seen and [shared] the unprecedented passion and interest in women's football this year and remain committed to playing our part by offering the best products and services to athletes and fans," the company said. "[We have] secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, US, France, and the Netherlands to be sold through the federation websites over the coming days, and we are also in conversations with our other federation partners."
Nike added it has committed to retailing women's goalkeeper jerseys for major tournaments in the future.
'Mary, Queen of Stops' Slams Nike
Earps was the 2023 winner of the FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Glove award. Her side was also the runner-up of the tournament after they were defeated by Spain 1-0 in the final game, which she massively contributed by denying La Roja a second goal during a penalty kick in the 70th minute.
For this feat, she returned home a heroine, with fans dubbing her "Mary, Queen of Stops," an ironic spoof of the historical figure Mary, Queen of Scots.
She also plays for Manchester United.
Despite Nike's backpedaling from its previous decision, Earps slammed the brand on Instagram by sharing the screenshot of its statement and adding her own comment.
"Nike, is this your version of an apology/taking accountability/a powerful statement of intent?" she wrote.
While Nike provided the uniforms for most of the squads in the 2023 Women's World Cup, Adidas provided for a significant number of teams but has not offered goalkeeper jerseys to the public, the Daily Mail reported.
Meanwhile, Hummel and Castore, who provided the kits for Denmark and Ireland, respectively, have offered replica goalie shirts for sale.
