24 August 2023 , 13:24
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Fans looking to finally get their hands on Mary Earps' iconic England goalkeeper shirt may finally be in luck.
There was controversy following the decision by Nike to not sell the goalkeeper jersey and the sports manufacturer was roundly criticised by Earps herself. The heat on Nike to start selling the shirt then grew further following Earps' heroic performances in the Women's World Cup that went onto earn her the Golden Glove with BBC host Gabby Logan even weighing on the choice by Nike to not sell the shirt.
Following the Final, and a petition by fans, the sportswear giant said: "Nike is committed to women's football and we're excited by the passion around this year's tournament and the incredible win by the Lionesses to make it into the final. We are proudly offering the best of Nike innovation and services to our federation partners and hundreds of athletes.
"We hear and understand the desire for a retail version of a goalkeeper jersey and we are working towards solutions for future tournaments, in partnership with Fifa and the federations. The fact that there's a conversation on this topic is testament to the continued passion and energy around the women's game and we believe that's encouraging."
The success of England's shirts have seen an incredible demand during the tournament. Fans were buying the kits in droves, especially the much loved away strip which the team wore in the World Cup Final defeat to Spain and the reality that fans couldn't buy the goalkeeper shirt had left a sour taste in the mouth following a hugely successful World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
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Despite Nike's initial statement there was still no movement on replica shirts actually going up for sale. However that has now changed as it's now been reported that the shirt will go on sale in limited amounts.
A spokeswoman for Nike said in a statement emailed to The New York Times on Wednesday evening: “Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, U.S., 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.”
Where can I buy the Mary Earps shirt?
There is no actual release date yet, but the statement proves that replica shirts are on the way sooner rather than later.
Fans should keep an eye on the Nike website over the next few days to see how you can finally secure the shirt.
We'll also update and add a link in this article.