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Mary Earps: Fan urges Nike to sell replica goalkeeper shirt

Contributed Mary Earps (left) and Emmy (right)Contributed
Football-fan Emmy got to meet her idol Mary Earps and has found the Lionesses' success inspirational

A 16-year-old football fan is calling on Nike to sell a replica of the England women's team goalkeeper shirt.

Emmy, from Northamptonshire, says she wants to be able to "respect" the players who have changed the perspective of women's football.

She plans to send a message to the sportswear brand with her more than 30,000-signature petition.

The BBC contacted Nike for comment but the sporting goods company has yet to respond.

Mary Earps has said she found it "hurtful" that fans could not buy a replica of her shirt.

Tom Williams/BBC EmmyTom Williams/BBC
The petition which was started in July, gained even more signatures after the women's England game against China on Tuesday

Emmy said: "I like to respect the players that I watch, for how they've brought women's football to where it is now."

The petition was started on 21 July and has already amassed tens of thousands of signatures.

"We joined together and said we would create a petition and try and show Nike the demand for women's goalkeeper's shirts and how many people actually do want a women's goalkeeper shirt," Emmy said.

Although Emmy is unsure whether Earps has seen the petition, she said thousands of signatures started to in come in after England's match against China on Tuesday.

In an interview with BBC Radio Northampton, Emmy's mum Sarah said: "After the match we think somebody must have picked it up who's famous but we can't work out who - it's gone from 2,000 to over 30,000."

Tom Williams/BBC Darren, stepfatherTom Williams/BBC
Darren, Emmy's stepfather, hopes that Nike will "take action" and that the petition sends a message that the demand is there

Darren, Emmy's stepfather, said he hopes Nike, which does sell the England women's home and away shirts, will "take notice" about the goalkeeper's shirt.

He said: "Like Emmy I was a bit confused [as to why a replica of the goalkeeper shirt was not sale], this is definitely proving there is a demand, they are wrong... Mary was left out of the photoshoot and is the only one who hasn't got a shirt.

"It's exclusion, which we don't like in any form, so we had to do something."

Emmy said: "I've loved football all of my life, since I was younger I've played... I think I hid it due to bullying but recently because the Lionesses' won the Euros, it's inspired me to find that love."

A replica of the men's England goalkeeper shirt is also not available on the England Store, however when a replica of Earps' Manchester United kit was made, it sold out last season.

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