Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has told the BBC she "feels ready and happy to share" that she is in a same-sex relationship. The 32-year-old has chosen to disclose details about her sexuality ahead of the upcoming publication of her memoir, in which she discusses her "really happy relationship."

The BBC understands Earps has decided to publish a statement confirming her sexuality so that it's shared on her own terms and doesn't distract from other themes in the book, including her struggles with mental health. Her manager, Tina Taylor, said Earps hopes that being open about her life off the pitch will "inspire people around the word to find the confidence to live authentically".

Earps, who now plays her football in France for Paris Saint-Germain, exclusively told the BBC she had always tried to keep her personal life separate from her professional one, but that it would've felt "inauthentic" not to share details of something she sees as "so important to her." Her manager told the BBC the former Manchester United player wanted to share her story "in her own way".

"After the World Cup, the outpouring of love and support really showed Mary the impact she's had, and she was deeply touched by it," she said. "By sharing details of her life away from football - something she's never done before - Mary is telling her story in her own way. It's honest and authentic."

In comparison to the men's game, women's football has many more openly gay players. There were no openly gay or bisexual players in the 2022 men's World Cup. In contrast, the 2023 Women's World Cup had more than 40 openly lesbian or bisexual players.

Earps is said to have been encouraged and supported by her former Lionesses teammates after recently opening up about her relationship to them. Giving a statement to the BBC, Earps said: "I've always tried to keep my personal life separate from my professional one, but it would have felt inauthentic not to include something so important to me in this book. "I'm in a really happy relationship. The people closest to me have always known, and I feel ready and happy to share that with everyone else now."

The keeper, who grew up in Nottingham, was a key part of the Lionesses side which won the Women's Euros in 2022 and was the team's vice captain during the Women's World Cup in 2023, which saw England lose in the final to Spain. She was also crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, which she described as an "incredible" experience. In May 2024, she was awarded an MBE by Prince William. She has publicly spoken many times about the importance of being a "trailblazer" and role model.

In an interview in August 2024, she said: "I'm a very ambitious person, a very hard-working person, and I think to try and push boundaries and try and be a pioneer for change, in many ways, is something that I really enjoy doing, and hopefully I can do for the rest of my career. "As Lionesses, one of the things that really sets us apart from other teams is how strong we are in our values and what we stand for."

In the era of social media, celebrities often have power over how and when they make their sexuality public - or even if they do so at all. In decades gone by, pop stars, actors and footballers suffered terrible consequences from press intrusion into their sexuality. But that kind of intrusion is not something that is just confined to history. In 2023, when actor Rebel Wilson first shared details of her same-sex relationship, there was a reckoning for the Australian media after it became apparent she had done so because a journalist had planned to reveal details of the relationship in a gossip column.

For most people from the community, "coming out" isn't something that you only do once - indeed Earps's statement says she was already open about her sexuality with those closest to her. So the decision to come out to her fans, particularly the young people who see her as a role model, is something she has clearly thought a lot about. In her own words, the goalkeeper says it simply would've felt "inauthentic" to not go public with something that is "so important" to her.