If one of the biggest sports brands in the world fail to realise the commercial potential of Mary Earps and her No.1 Lionesses shirt - then what are they doing?
This argument comes way before her rather spectacular opening game performance against Haiti on Saturday - two sensational saves and a showboat bit of skill to out-wit a charging striker. The Manchester United stopper IS the best in the World - she's got an award in her cabinet in which that message is clearly inscribed.
Nike must surely, by now, realise their faux pa.
The fact that Earps herself has offered to fund the selling of the number one shirt and still the answer appears to be NO, is, quite frankly, criminal.
But what it may have done is spurred England’s goalkeeper on... with an ‘I’ll prove you’re wrong’ attitude to boot.
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Nike will have to back-pedal this decision because there will be an ever-growing list of adoring fans wanting to sport her shirt throughout this World Cup tournament - I’ll state that as a fact. Fans don’t call her “Mary Queen of Stops” for nothing.
Earps has made it abundantly clear that she wants to highlight the pleasures of playing in between the sticks for young football fans, because the focus is always on the striker, the glory end - when in fact there is a thrill to be the last player standing to deny a shot on target.
Let's just put the fans down for a second - the fact her own family and friends cannot wear her shirt in support should cause Nike to cringe in embarrassment for a sheer overlooking of one of the nation’s gems.
Her attempts to sort this out ‘behind closed doors’ with Nike and the Football Association have failed to come to fruition pre-tournament which is eye-opening considering the FA’s slogan “Football for all".
Well, I guess they’re not reading their own slogans.
“There are people who have spent a tremendous amount of money on outfield shirts and then put ‘Earps 1’ on the back. That doesn’t sit well with me, either”, said Earps.
"You know, Millie Bright spoke to me a couple of weeks ago and said: ‘Mary, my niece is desperate to get your shirt, where can I get it?’
"I replied: ‘You can’t, it doesn’t exist.’ "I think that’s a huge problem. I think a scary message is being sent to goalkeepers worldwide that they are not important,” she added. Nike has yet to respond to Earps' statement earlier in the week.
When Nike signed the dotted line to be kit providers for all of England’s teams, the Brand President chairman Charlie Denson said: “We look forward to supporting England teams at every level with innovative product technology.” Okay, so everyone except the women's goalkeeper?
What a wonderful message to give to young girls. They should ashamed.
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