21 December 2023 , 15:12
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Jill Scott has praised her "incredible" former team-mate Mary Earps after she won the Sports Personality of the Year Award for 2023.
The 30-year-old claimed the gong on Tuesday evening at a the star-studded ceremony in Salford, after helping England reach an historic World Cup final earlier this year, in which she memorably denied Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso from the spot to keep alive hopes of victory for Sarina Wiegman's team.
Earps was also part of the Lionesses' team which won the Finalissima and the Arnold Clark Cup, as well as helping club side Manchester United to a first ever FA Cup final and second place in the Women's Super League. The goalkeeper became the second Lionesses star in-a-row to win the SPOTY title after Beth Mead topped the public vote in 2022.
England's No.1 also claimed the Golden Gove award in the WSL and is the most recent recipient of FIFA's The Best Women's Goalkeeper award. Scott, who retired from football after winning Euro 2022 alongside Earps, attended the ceremony to see her former international colleague lift the trophy.
"It was such a good night and really good for the women's game," Scott said via SkyBet YouTube show The Overlap. "Two Lionesses have now won on the trot (after Mead) and I think Mary is a very well-deserving winner.
Earps reacts to FIFA Best nomination and on season so far with Man Utd
"Obviously her performances have been incredible. It was good, I didn't go to the afterparty because I've got an important podcast in the morning! But it was a really good night, Mary is just a fantastic character.
"I think it was good as well, that a goalkeeper has won it. Usually it is the strikers and forwards, players like that. She's had some incredible performances this year for the Lionesses. Two Lionesses have won it, we'll have to see who wins it next."
Mary Earps after claiming BBC SPOTY 2023 (PA)Are you happy that Mary Earps won Sports Personality of the Year? Have your say in the comments here
Earps edged out cricketer Stuart Broad and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the public vote. When winning the award Earps said: "(Winning the award) feels pretty great on the back of a couple of big years – 2023 has been wild in ways I never expected, I am really grateful.
“I always committed to myself that anything I would have after that period of time (out of the England team) would be a bonus and it just hasn’t stopped yet. I’m just trying to make the most of everything, because when it stops you miss it."
Earps has been widely lauded since winning the SPOTY title. However, talkTV presenter Piers Morgan took issue with the result, having another bizarre dig at the England goalkeeper by attempting to discredit her achievements in 2023.