Why are Mary Earps and Millie Bright not playing for England at Euro 2025?

England’s defence of their European Championship crown begins tonight when they take on France in their opening game of Euro 2025.

Manager Sarina Wiegman has never lost a game at the Euros but will face a tough task this time round with the Lionesses also set to take on her former side the Netherlands and tournament debutants Wales in the ‘group of death’.

Thankfully, she can call upon some of the best players in the world but a few famous Lionesses are not in the squad, most notably Mary Earps and Millie Bright.

But why have they not been called-up and which other England stars did not make the cut for Euro 2025?

Why is Mary Earps not playing for England at Euro 2025?

Mary Earps is arguably the biggest name in England women’s football, following her heroics at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup where she saved Jenni Hermoso’s penalty in the final defeat to Spain.

However, over the past year, Earps lost her status as England’s No.1 goalkeeper, with Sarina Wiegman preferring Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton.

Nevertheless, the PSG keeper was set to go to Euro 2025, but just over a week before Wiegman named her squad, Earps announced she was retiring from international duty – a move that caught everyone by surprise.

In a statement, the 32-year-old said: ‘My journey has never been the simplest, so in true Mary fashion, this isn’t a simple goodbye – right before a major tournament.

‘Nonetheless, I know this is the right decision. There are so many dimensions to this decision, the details of which aren’t important right now.

‘I know that while this won’t make sense to some who are reading this, you can trust that I would not be doing this unless I thought it was absolutely the right thing to do, as much as it hurts.’

The timing of Earps’ retirement has been heavily criticised, not least by Lionesses icon Siobhan Chamberlain who said: ‘I think it blindsided Sarina Wiegman. It threw a bit of a grenade into her plans.

‘Betrayal is a very harsh word in football but would Sarina have been angry? Would she have been frustrated? Absolutely she would have been and rightly so. The timing is awful.’

Why is Millie Bright not playing for England at Euro 2025?

Another hero from Euro 2022, Millie Bright has been a key player for England since 2017 and was named captain for the last World Cup with Leah Williamson out injured.

The Chelsea skipper lead her club to a domestic treble this season but pulled out of the last Lionesses squad because of burnout.

It was hoped she would be fit in time for the Euros but the day before the squad announcement, Bright made herself unavailable for selection.

The defender said: ‘This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Football has given me so much, and representing my country has always been my greatest honour.

‘My pride and ego tells me to go but I think the team and the fans deserve more. Right now I’m not able to give 100% mentally or physically.

‘As much as I want to be out there running through brick walls for England and fighting alongside my team-mates, stepping back is the right thing for my health, my future in the game and most importantly the team.’

Are there any other notable absentees from the England squad?

Shortly after Earps, midfielder Fran Kirby announced her retirement from international duty after being told by Wiegman that she would not be in the Euro 2025 squad.

In all, 10 of the 23-player squad from Euro 2022 are not in Switzerland, five of whom have retired, namely Earps, Kirby, Jill Scott, Ellen White and Rachel Daly.

Bright, Demi Stokes, Nikita Parris, Bethany England and Ellie Roebuck are the others to miss out, while long-time captain Steph Houghton retired last year.

Scott, White, Roebuck and Houghton are part of the BBC’s punditry team for the tournament.

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