Mary Earps vows London City Lionesses are 'not far' from Champions League qualification

play
Mary Earps hoped PSG would be 'more competitive on the pitch' (0:52)

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has said that London City Lionesses are "not far away" from securing Champions League qualification as she hopes to play a crucial role in helping her new club climb up the Women's Super League table.

The 33-year-old signed a two-year deal with London City through to 2028 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer following a two-year stint.

Earps joined the Paris club after a five-year spell with Manchester United but said she is ready for a new chapter in England again.

"The more I spoke to [London City Lionesses] the more I wanted to hear more, and it became a one-club race at the end," Earps said. "I felt really connected with them and it came down to ambitions and objectives. I'm not kidding myself that there will be things to work on but to finish midtable in your first season I think says exactly what the club is about.

"I don't think climbing the table is out of the question at all, I think it's very realistic. I don't think Champions League [qualification] is that far away. I'm excited to possibly play a small part in that."

When Earps left United she said she was ready to come out of her comfort zone and take on a new challenge, but had hoped that PSG would be "more competitive on the pitch."

"Moving to Paris and PSG really pushed me out of my comfort zone," Earps told ESPN. "I didn't want to look back and think I was too chicken to take the chance.

- Mary Earps joins London City Lionesses following PSG exit
- Summer transfer window: Grading big signings in women's football
- West Ham sign World Cup winner Laia Codina

"At the time, [PSG] had been Champions League semifinalists. I felt like everything was going to align perfectly, you have your dreams and vision and truth be told, I had hoped we'd be a bit more competitive on the pitch but I learnt so much out there.

"It ticked a lot of the boxes I was looking for. I like to think I'm coming back a stronger player because of it but we'll see how the chapter unfolds. I think I'm still the same person."

London City finished sixth in their debut WSL season, winning eight games and drawing three across 22 games.