England goalkeeper Mary Earps is known as the Queen of Stops and unofficially the Queen of TikTok, but she's also apparently the Queen of Laughs, according to England teammates Alessia Russo and Ella Toone.
Russo and Toone's long-time friendship is well documented with the pair meeting in a youth England camp and swiftly becoming inseparable.
But Earps is very much part of that friendship, with the trio having played together at international level for England for a number of years and also at Manchester United from 2020 until Russo's departure at the start of this season.
Earps has been known for her exploits on TikTok, with the England and United No 1 delighting fans with playful videos showcasing her dance moves. behind-the-scenes peeks at her life and goofy moments with her teammates.
And speaking on the new Tooney and Russo podcast, the pair reminisced on one of "the funniest" moments from their Lionesses teammate during the triumphant 2022 European championships.
“When we were at the Euros we had a barbecue and we all drew a name and we had to pick their outfit for the barbecue,” Russo said in her new podcast on BBC Sounds.
“And Mary picked Tooney and Tooney picked Mary. and Mary picked this big inflatable lobster costume for Tooney and it was one of the hottest summers."
Toone added: “It was like 27 degrees and it was this big massive inflatable thing and red cheetah kitten heels.”
“And there was decking, so as we’re walking around, Tooney got stuck in the decking," Russo said.
“So I was just in this big lobster outfit, couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, sweating. And Mary was laughing her head off, thinking she was dead funny. She killed me. To be fair, that was one of the funniest things Mary has done.”
Asked if the assessment was an incidental back-handed compliment, Russo emphasised: “I think Mary is funny but that was one of the best.”
Toone concurred: “She was buzzing. Absolutely buzzing with herself. She was all, I got Ella. I was the one who picked that outfit.”
The future of Earps remains up in the air with the end of the season fast approaching. The World No 1 is out of contract in the summer and speculation has been fierce regarding the goalkeeper's future with a swathe of big clubs across Europe expressing interest in procuring her services.
If Earps is to depart United, she would represent the third high-profile player to leave the club on a free transfer, following in the footsteps of Russo and left-back Ona Batlle, who joined Barcelona at the start of this season.
United have endured a difficult campaign with a fourth-place finish being contested by a high-flying Liverpool side, who they face this weekend. Their position this season is in stark contrast to last, in which United reach a first-ever FA Cup final and pushed Chelsea to the brink in the league.
Even so, United overcame Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and have a chance to redeem some aspects of the season with a clash against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The new Liverpool home shirt for the 2024/2025 season features a Chrome Yellow pattern design sees a modernised take on the legendary 84 Home Shirt, a season which saw the Reds become European Champions for the 4th time in Rome and the first English Club to win a Treble of major honours. You can pre-order it now for Thursday, May 16.