18 August 2023 , 10:14
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England's Lionesses are on the brink of making history as they gear up for a World Cup final against Spain on Sunday.
A year after the Euros win on home soil, Sarina Wiegman's squad have captured the hearts of the nation once again as they aim to add another trophy to their cabinet. They beat Australia 3-1 earlier this week in Sydney to book their spot in the final showpiece this weekend and a number of players have caught the eye throughout the tournament.
One being goalkeeper Mary Earps, who has been one of the Lionesses' most consistent performers stepping up with crucial saves in big moments. Yet, the shot-stopper had little choice but to call out retailer Nike for refusing to sell her shirt pre-tournament and if the response from fans is anything to go by, she had good reason to.
Analysis of Google search data, carried out by fashion retailer Boohoo, reveals that searches for 'Lionesses kit' has soared ahead of the final. Searches have exploded by 3,981% above the average volume in the last 90 days.
Google Trends data also reveals the most in-demand Lioness shirts are forward Lauren Hemp, followed by captain Leah Williamson, and goalkeeper Earps. It's a shame those wanting to buy the Manchester United star's shirt won't be able to.
Earps reacts to FIFA Best nomination and on season so far with Man Utd
Earps publicly called out Nike before the World Cup kicked off last month, expressing her disappointment at the decision not to sell her shirt. The goalkeeper says she even offered to pay for production herself, but the answer was still no.
"I can't really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try. It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful," she told reporters last month. “I have gone through every imaginable step I possibly could in this short space of time. I offered to buy the shirts myself, I went to the FA to see if we could make something, and to be fair my understanding is the FA tried."
FA chief Mark Bullingham was asked about Nike not selling replica goalkeeper shirts and he said it's something they hope to address once the World Cup concludes.
"Mary is incredibly passionate about growing goalkeeping, as are we," he told the BBC. "We've got several schemes to get the next generation of goalkeepers coming through.
"We have got a plan for addressing that issue and it's something we'll get to after the tournament."