ENGLAND AND MANCHESTER United goalkeeper Mary Earps has been voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year for 2023.

The 30-year-old was a key part of the Lionesses side which reached the Women’s World Cup final in the summer, and won Fifa’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.

Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso in the final, but England were unable to add to their 2022 European crown as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.

Retired England cricketer Stuart Broad finished second in the vote, while world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third.

Wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, jockey Frankie Dettori and golf star Rory McIlroy were the three other sports luminaries who made it on to the shortlist for the prestigious prize. 

Earps’ success last night made her the third successive female winner of the award, after US Open champion Emma Raducanu in 2021 and Earps’ England team-mate Beth Mead last year.

In 2021 her international career was at a crossroads, having not played for her country since November 2019. However, she was included in the first England squad Sarina Wiegman named in September 2021 and has gone from strength to strength since.

Last season Earps kept 14 clean sheets as Manchester United finished second in the Women’s Super League. She also drew praise after she spoke out about sportswear manufacturer Nike’s failure to offer an England goalkeeper’s replica jersey for sale before the World Cup.