Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps said she was ‘really grateful’ after being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Earps was recognised for her starring role in the Lionesses’ run to a first ever Women’s World Cup final earlier this year, with the 30-year-old conceding just four goals to win the tournament’s Golden Glove. The shot-stopper saved a penalty in the final, as England lost 1-0 to Spain in Australia.
She also won the Golden Glove in the WSL during the 2022/23 season, after recording 14 clean sheets for Manchester United, and came fifth in the Ballon d’Or vote.
Earps becomes the second successive Lioness to win the BBC’s Sports Personality award, after teammate Beth Mead was handed the honour in 2022.
The goalkeeper also won plaudits for pushing against Nike’s decision not to sell her replica goalkeeper shirt for fans. After Nike reversed the decision, two editions of the shirt have sold out.
“It feels pretty great off the back of a couple of really big years and 2023 has been wild in ways I couldn’t expect,” Earps said as she collected the award.
“I’m really, really grateful.
“I would not be here without my team-mates with the Lionesses and at Manchester United because we’ve achieved some incredible things over the last couple of years. While individual accolades are great, they only come after team success. This is their trophy just as much as mine.”
Cricketer Stuart Broad finished as runner-up in the vote, with heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson third.
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