Mary Earps wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 after England heroics
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been crowned this year's BBC Sport Personality of the Year.
Earps, 30, makes it successive years that a member of the Lionesses has claimed the accolade, after last year's winner Beth Mead. athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson came third while cricketer Stuart Broad came second.
England goalkeeper Earps was shortlisted for the 70th edition of the award alongside Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, Johnson-Thompson and golfer Rory McIlroy. On winning the prestigious award, Earps said: "First of all, I'd like to say how humble I am to be on a list with such incredible athletes. I've really enjoyed hearing your stories tonight. I think sport is a fantastic thing where it brings the world together, so to hear about your journeys, I just think it's unbelievable.
“So congratulations to you all. Also thanks for voting for me everyone who voted for me. I’m very honoured and humbled. For me, I feel this is the ultimate, all-around sporting accolade, and with the Lionesses and Manchester United we’ve had an incredible couple of years. But this is, wow."
Earps added: "It’s not been the easiest journey, and I wouldn’t be where I am without a couple of incredible people in my corner so finally thank you to them. I'm so happy I could bring some of my loved ones with me today. They've been with me through the really, really not so great times. The last two years have been unbelievable, I've done more than I could imagine and for that I am truly and incredibly grateful.
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"Finally, thank you so much to my teammates, my coaches, I wouldn’t be here without you all so I’m going to get off the stage before I get the boot from Gary Lineker."
The Manchester United stopper has become one of the most recognisable and high-profile footballers in the last year while cutting herself one of the world's best women's goalkeepers in the game.
Named FIFA's Best Women's Goalkeeper last year, Earps was England's standout player as Sarina Wiegman's side reached an historic Women’s World Cup final at this year’s showpiece event in Australia and New Zealand.
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Earps played every minute of England's seven matches, conceding only four goals and keeping three clean sheets as she lay claim to the tournament's Golden Glove award. It was the second such award Earps scooped up in the calendar year, having won the Women’s Super League’s edition courtesy of her record 14 clean sheets for Manchester United throughout the 2022-23 season.
The iconic moments Earps supplied England fans throughout the Women's World Cup were myriad, with her penalty save against Spain’s Jenni Hermoso–and the subsequent X-rated outburst that followed–in the final to keep England’s hopes of victory alive one of the most memorable.
Earps' accomplishments between the sticks were rivalled by her taking on sporting apparel behemoth Nike amid the company’s refusal to manufacture replica women's goalkeeper shirts during the Women’s World Cup.
Nike eventually U-turned on their policy, with Earps’ green long-sleeve England shirt selling out in record time. On her nomination and recent successes, Earps told presenter and former England footballer Alex Scott: “It's a lot different from what I knew growing up so I’m trying to embrace it all. Goalkeeping is a massive passion of mine. I’m trying to represent a whole group of people and show that goalkeeping is cool and we can be on the front of things. We still have a lot of work to do.”
She added: “What I’ve learnt over the last couple of years is that you have to show a lot of resilience in life, a lot of character. It’s never easy, we all go through hard times in whatever walk of life we’re in. I think football is a vehicle and we can all change in the world in some small way and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Mary Earps speaks to the crowd after winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award (David Davies/PA Wire)Earps was voted England Women's Player of the Year for 2022-2023 and finished fifth in the voting for this year's Ballon d'Or award. The Fifa Best Women's Goalkeeper was also integral as England won the inaugural Women's Finalissima with a penalty shootout defeat of Brazil in April and extended their sensational unbeaten run under manager Wiegman to over 30 matches.
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Elsewhere, Mia Brookes was named the Young Sports Personality of the Year after the 16-year-old became the youngest world champion in snowboarding history. Des Smith of the Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club claimed this year's Unsung Hero award, which celebrates the best volunteers in sport.
Former javelin world champion Fatima Whitbread was honoured with the Helen Rollason award. The award is in memory of the eponymous BBC Sport journalist and presenter, who died of cancer that year at the age of 43. Whitbread was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987.
Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland was voted the World Sport Star of the Year after the goalscorer helped Pep Guardiola's side to an historic treble. City's successes also earned them the BBC's Team and Coach of the Year awards. Liverpool and Scotland legend Sir Kenny Dalglish was handed the Lifetime Achievement award.
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