'It's like the first day of school' - Earps on being part of LCL's new superstar squad

Mary Earps joined London City Lionesses this summer and was followed by the likes of Alexia Putellas, Mapi Leon and Kadidiatou Diani; watch London City Lionesses vs Man Utd on the opening weekend of the WSL season on September 4, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 7pm

Mary Earps is used to leading from the front, whether as an England goalkeeper or highlighting issues in the women's game. This summer, she was the first one through the door as London City Lionesses collated a star-strewn squad.

The goalkeeper returns to the WSL after a two-year spell in France with PSG, something she describes as 'a very different environment'.

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports ahead of the WSL's return on September 4, when London City face her former side, Manchester United, Earps said: "I really feel like I was able to go away and work on myself for a couple of years. There were things in my game that I've been able to kind work on as well.

"As a person, living away from home, immersing yourself in a new language, in a new culture, a new city, a new country, it teaches you a lot of things about yourself. It gives you space to reflect and figure out more about who you are and who you want to be as a person."

Earps has never been afraid of the big move. She also played for German giants Wolfsburg for a year before joining Man Utd and it's that experience that gives her empathy for the players coming to England.

"There's people who are maybe moving clubs for the first time," she said. "There's people moving countries, speaking different languages. I know how hard that is, but even moving back to England and speaking English, it's still a transition."

And the list of players now at London City is eye-watering. The biggest is Alexia Putellas - the Ballon d'Or winner who left her childhood club Barcelona for Bromley. Her team-mate Mapi Leon followed, as has Kadidiatou Diani. That's before we even talk about the players already there, like Kosovare Asllani, Delphine Cascarino and Grace Geyoro.

While these players, Earps included, are used to superstardom, they are still the newbies - dauting for anyone - but such an experience fosters a comradery vital for a successful team.

The goalkeeper explained: "I feel very much part of the newness of it all, and it's nice when other people are experiencing that for the first time as well, but even the players that have been here before, they've maybe only been here a year or so.

"But that's what happens when you're a brand new entity and it's exciting because you get to be a part of that history, and I do believe that London City will go on to do incredible things for a long time. That's a massive reason why I came here.

"It's great in a way because it's like everyone's first day at school. You say 'oh, I'm so nervous', but everyone is nervous because everyone's doing the same thing.

"But there's a lot of experience in the room as well.