Tullis-Joyce Steps Up As Man Utd's New Number One After Earps' Departure

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Phallon Tullis-Joyce feels her time learning from Mary Earps at Manchester United has prepared her to become the Red Devils' new number one. Earps, who played five seasons with United, moved to Paris Saint-Germain in July after her contract ended. During her tenure, she made 102 appearances and kept 46 clean sheets in the Women's Super League (WSL).

Tullis-Joyce spent just one year with Earps after joining from the Seattle Reign last year, making four appearances in the League Cup. Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, she told Stats Perform that training with Earps and learning from the staff has well-prepared her for this season. "I was fortunate enough to train with Mary for an entire season, learn from her, learn from the staff as well," Tullis-Joyce said.

Head coach Marc Skinner is confident Tullis-Joyce can fill the significant gap left by Earps. This endorsement has boosted Tullis-Joyce's confidence. "Yeah, definitely very, very grateful to our staff," she began. "I mean, right from the start, when I got there, they were very clear about their intentions and where I was at and where they wanted to see me progress to."

United are aiming to improve on a disappointing campaign last year when they finished fifth and missed out on Champions League qualification by 15 points. Despite conceding fewer goals than most teams—only Manchester City (15), Chelsea (18), Arsenal (20), and Liverpool (28) conceded less than United's 32—their inconsistent results were costly.

Tullis-Joyce acknowledged that last season's performance fell short but pointed out that their FA Cup success provides a solid foundation for this season. "We're taking this step by step," she said. "These players have been grinding it out during this pre-season. We're pushing our limits, and we obviously have our sights set on the absolute best that we can perform as a squad."

The 31-year-old Earps won the Golden Glove in the 2022-23 campaign and helped United lift the Women's FA Cup in her final season with the club. Tullis-Joyce expressed gratitude for being part of such a high-standard environment. "Four of us together just being able to hold a high standard has already helped me in that preparation for this season," she added.

Tullis-Joyce is optimistic about what lies ahead for Manchester United Women this season. She emphasised that everyone is working hard during pre-season to achieve their best performance as a squad.