Mary Earps received the boos she feared on her return to Manchester United, 501 days after leaving, then departed defeated. Marc Skinner’s team cuffed aside Paris Saint‑Germain courtesy of Fridolina Rolfö’s expert second-half header.
When jogging out for the warmup Earps was cheered, but when the crowd swelled for kick-off the jeers came, though for a player whose CV shows nine clubs, 52 England caps, and a Euro 2022 winner’s medal, this felt water off the proverbial for her.
Skinner said: “I said to her at the end: ‘Look after yourself.’ She’s an intelligent person – she understands the world she’s in.”
United’s manager should be enthused by how his team soaked up pressure at the start of each half, took the lead through Melvine Malard, then responded to Olga Carmona’s equaliser with Rolfo’s winner.
With her first clearance Earps saw her team move downfield and have Jennifer Echegini smash a 25-yard effort off Safia Middleton-Patel’s left post, United’s stand-in goalkeeper a flailing spectator only.
