England and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Mary Earps has admitted it was a difficult decision to leave Manchester United but says she was determined to push herself out of her comfort zone in order to become a better player.
Earps joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer following a period of lengthy talks over a contract extension with United.
PSG were knocked out in the Women's Champions League second round by Juventus and they are second in their domestic league behind Lyon, but they do have a derby game to look forward to against Paris FC in the French Cup final at the beginning of next month.
Explaining her decision to leave Manchester United, Earps told Pitch to Pod: "It was a conscious choice of, 'I want to push myself out of my comfort zone, I want to push my game to another level, I want to learn, I want to be challenged in a different way'.
"I think people probably look at it and think, 'you just packed up your bags and left'. It's just not as simple as that.
"It doesn't matter if you're moving to a different club at home or if you're moving to a different club abroad. Making that choice to leave is very difficult, especially when I was at United for five years and that was all I ever knew for such a long period of time and enjoyed some fantastic success there.
"So me leaving and going to PSG, it was about what I thought was going to make me a better player and it was tough.
"I remember the night before I left, I was really struggling, the few days packing all my stuff and bringing it all together.
"It sounds really stupid - I think I'm just emotional in my later years - I suppressed all my emotions as a kid and now as an adult, I feel everything. I am just so glad I was brave enough to do it.
"I think I can feel a massive difference in myself on and off the pitch. I feel like I'm learning every day and I'm really enjoying it. The girls are incredibly talented.
"I'm really glad I've done it and I'm really enjoying it."
Earps on England: I made peace with my eight caps
England will look to defend their Euros title at this summer's tournament, with Earps starting in every game as the Lionesses clinched their first major senior trophy.
She has, for the most part, kept her spot as England's No 1 in the big games, but is facing increasing competition from Chelsea's Hannah Hampton. Man City stopper Khiara Keating is also a regular at club level.
Earps has not had the easiest journey in a Lionesses shirt either. She was included in the squads for Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup, although did not appear in either, with sporadic appearances in the interim - a topic she covers in depth on Pitch to Pod.
The PSG goalkeeper was then handed the No 1 shirt by Sarina Wiegman in her first England game in September 2021, marking her first cap in almost two years.
When asked if there was a moment where she thought she had 'made it' with England, Earps replied: "I don't know if there was that point because I never really looked at it like that.
"When I got brought back in by Sarina, I'd been out for such a long time and I remember thinking 'What if I don't have it?' I was out for what felt like an eternity, I could barely remember what an England camp felt like. I honestly went in thinking, 'I hope I don't embarrass myself'.
"I got brought into some training camps with Team GB around that time and it probably took me a few camps [to settle back in]. I think conversations and games helped that, but I never felt like 'Oh, this is mine [the No 1 spot]'.
"I'm not that type of person where I'm entitled like that. Anything can change at any time. I just wanted to play as many games and help the team as possible. I was always trying to make the most of every single moment.
"I think being out of it makes you appreciate it even more. It felt like a bonus because I made peace with my eight caps. That's not bad - it's better than one, it's better than zero. It's something to tell the kids, and you rationalise it in your own mind, then suddenly, I'm picking up caps and I'm playing more games than I probably ever thought.
"You do lose a lot of confidence when that happens [being dropped from the team]. You think 'Well, I was just never very good'.
"I actually thought at one point I was robbing a living so to then go on and have the level of success I've had - what a bonus, what a life. No complaints from me. It's beyond anything I could ever express in words, and I just hope that I have.
"Whatever I do, I hope I've done something good with this privileged position I've been given. I don't see it as 'this is mine, I'm owed this' - not at all. Football is a crazy old game."
