England number one Mary Earps has praised the “incredible support” from fans after the Lionesses’ long-awaited goalkeeper kit sold out within hours of going on sale.
England kit maker Nike finally allowed fans to purchase the women’s home, away and third goalkeeper jerseys via the FA website on Monday, but even without an official announcement regarding their availability, all available stock has been quickly exhausted.
Nike had already been criticized by fans and Earps herself during the Women’s World Cup in August, with fans able to buy the Lionesses’ home and away jerseys, shorts and socks, but not a kit. goalie.
The Manchester United goalkeeper won the Golden Glove at the World Cup, where she saved a penalty in the Lionesses’ 1-0 final defeat to Spain.
Nike initially defended its decision days after the final, saying they were “working on solutions for future tournaments.”
Earps called the decision “extremely disappointing and very hurtful” before the brand announced a U-turn less than a week later and announced that a “limited” quantity of shirts would be available for purchase.
After the sale was announced on Monday, Earps took to Instagram to express her joy, posting on her Stories: “I didn’t know these were on sale today. And you already sold them!
“More will be arriving before the end of the year, and in more sizes for kids and adults – so stay tuned.
“Thank you everyone for your incredible support on this. You made this possible.”
At the time of Nike’s initial announcement, former sports minister Tracey Crouch took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to question whether the “limited” run of kits would be enough to serve fans – as is now the case.
She wrote: “I find it extraordinary that a major brand got into this mess in the first place, but now it will be very interesting to see what “limited quantity” means and if they are available in all sizes, because I I suspect many fans of all ages and shapes will want one.”