Man United make cheeky dig at Nike amid U-turn on Mary Earps adidas shirt

The sports wear brand was widely criticised for opting not to make the England goalkeeper's World Cup kit available to purchase this summer.

But five days after the tournament ended - and after a petition that will be heard in parliament was launched and Earps herself criticised them again - Nike finally agreed to release a 'limited' number of shirts.

Man United, who Earps has played for since 2019, have backed the goalkeeper and appeared to aim a dig at the brand.

Aside from hailing the Lionesses goalkeeper's contribution to her country's run to the World Cup final this summer, the conveniently-timed statement was tweeted with the caption: "Get used to seeing Mary Earps shirts out and about this season."

The statement added: "In recent seasons, Earps has become a true role model both on and off the pitch: she is attracting new audiences to the women's game and, crucially, inspiring another generation of young girls to play the game - with gloves on, too! Mary's popularity is also reflected by sales on our online store, United Direct.

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"We can reveal the 'Earps no.27' shirt by adidas is officially our second most popular United Women jersey so far this season, behind Ella Toone, and orders rose dramatically throughout the World Cup."

Earps' shirt was also not sold during or after the European Championship last summer even though she was part of the team that made history and won the competition for the first time, with Nike citing 'manufacturing issues'.

Her parents were the only fans able to wear her kits during the tournament, with the duo seen wearing her match-worn shirts from down under.

But if Man United's shirt sale figures are anything to go off, we should expect to see many more fans donning Earps' name on their backs soon.

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