Mary Earps wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year award

England women’s national team goalkeeper, Mary Earps, has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023. Earps was a key member of the Lionesses team that reached its first ever World Cup final earlier this year. She was also named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

“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,” said Earps, who plays her club football for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League.

“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.”

Earps becomes the third woman in a row to win the Sports Personality of the Year award – the first time that has happened since the 1960s. Earps’ team mate, fellow Lioness Beth Mead was crowned winner in 2022, while tennis star Emma Raducanu won the award in 2021.

England cricketer Stuart Broad was second in this year’s voting, with world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson third.

Jockey Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett and golfer Rory McIlroy were also shortlisted for the award by a panel of experts, with the winner decided by a public vote.