Mary Earps on the pitch during England vs. Australia, 2018.

Phoebe Hobson

Mary Earps was officially crowned the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December, commemorating the best two years of her career.

Manchester United’s WSL goalkeeper accepted the award with gratitude, expressing how honoured and humbled she is to have achieved the accolade.

Her foot first came close to a ball at the age of eight, when she first practised for a bit of family fun with her dad and brother. Fast forward 22 years and she’s now one of the country’s most popular goalkeepers of all time. Her success represents a movement for women in football and is a statement for all aspiring female footballers and young girls.

2022 Euros

It’s fair to say that the Lionesses’ victory at the 2022 Euros is what set Earps’ success in stone. The women’s England squad became European winners at Wembley, after beating Germany 2-1 in extra time.

https://twitter.com/muwfcs/status/1675152655314829313

The Lionesses single handily made history for both England and women’s football, accomplishing the nation’s only victory at a worldwide tournament since 1966. Their success sparked a national interest for women’s football. Earps’ consistent goal saving efforts significantly assisted this triumph at the Euros.

Following her achievements at Wembley, Earps’ performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. FIFA subsequently named her the 2023 Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Not only is she skilled on the pitch, but her fun and humorous posts on TikTok have spiked her popularity amongst younger audiences. The star has racked up nearly 800,000 followers on the app, with her charismatic online personality enlightening the English football scene.

https://www.tiktok.com/@1maryearps/video/7126653428071238917?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7300947708994405920

FIFA World Cup 2023

Since joining Manchester United in 2019, Earps’ time at the club has only set her up for success. During the past four years, she has maintained consistent clean sheets and saves.

Earps in a goal is a match made in heaven. Her famous save and triumph at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia created uproar across the UK. Fans were on the edge of their seats as their Spanish opponents took a penalty in the final, which Earps successfully saved.

Although the Lionesses were not led to victory, Earps’ outstanding save was a monumental milestone for female football. Now a fan favourite, it’s without a doubt that her enthusiastic celebration had a lot to do with it. As she saved the goal, her reaction captured the feelings of everyone watching at home — a down to earth and real woman of the match.

A Bright Future for Mary Earps

As she accepted her award, Earps gave a heartfelt speech, declaring her love for the sport: “It’s not just about what I’ve achieved in football, it’s something bigger than that and that’s really humbling and grounding. I’m going to take some time to really reflect on that and what it means.

“Sport is a fantastic thing where it brings the world together.

“Us Lionesses, and obviously United as well, we’ve had an incredible couple of years,” she added.

Earps is clearly on a winning streak. As if a FIFA award and Sports Personality weren’t impressive enough, she’s also received an MBE. Her endless efforts as a team player and for the England squad have secured her a hat-trick of awards.

Watch this space, because she’s the gift that keeps on giving… and saving.

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Featured image courtesy of El Loko via Wikimedia Commons. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.

A film graduate and trainee journalist studying a masters at Leeds Beckett University, A girl who loves the power and beauty in words. One who you’ll probably find with her head in a book or typing away, listening to music or podcasts and with a mocha in hand.

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