Just as the year before, the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 award went to a member of the England women’s national football team. Rather than an outfield player though, this year’s award went to charismatic Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps. This was the first time in the history of the award, first handed out in 1954, that it went to a goalkeeper, meaning Earps has achieved something that Gordon Banks, David Seaman, nor any other stopper, has.
In this article we will look at how Earps managed to become the first goalkeeping recipient of the SPOTY accolade and only the second female footballer. Interestingly, Earps’ win made it three consecutive wins for women, the first time this had happened since the 1960s.
Which Other Stars Made the SPOTY Shortlist in 2023?
Heading into the award, Earps was the odds-on favourite to claim first place. The bookies have tended to get this right in recent years, so it was far from a surprise when she was crowned the winner. The only other serious contender was England cricketer Stuart Broad. The 37-year-old announced his retirement months before following the summer’s Ashes series, in which he claimed his 600th Test wicket. Despite his age, he was England’s top wicket taker during the five-match clash with Australia, with 22 to his name at an average of just 28.4. He certainly went out on a high too, incredibly hitting the last ball he faced for six and taking a wicket with the last ball he bowled.
Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Broad, Dettori, Earps, Hewett, Johnson-Thompson and McIlroy shortlisted for award https://t.co/VtQa8ghhvf
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 12, 2023
Earps and Broad were the only likely recipients of the award but also on the shortlist were Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Frankie Dettori. The former regained the world title in the heptathlon while the latter enjoyed a fine farewell year in British horse racing winning two Classics (the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks) plus a further eight Group One contests.
It is interesting to note that Dettori had finished third in the award back in 1996, however he was unable to repeat this feat as Johnson-Thompson took third place. The other two names on the six-person shortlist were golfer Rory McIlroy, who put in a strong Ryder Cup showing, and wheelchair tennis player, Alfie Hewett, who won the 2023 Australian and US Opens.
How Did Earps Win SPOTY 2023?
Earps winning SPOTY in 2023 was not a controversial decision. Although Broad made a strong case, and few would have begrudged him winning, the goalie had just enjoyed a superb year for club and country. It was a season in which she was largely regarded as being the best keeper in women’s football and she picked up many individual accolades as a result, as you can see from the list below. Typically, these awards relate to performances covering the 2022/23 season.
- The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
- Women’s Super League Golden Glove
- FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Glove
- PFA WSL Team of the Year
- England Women’s Player of the Year
- Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year
- Northwest Football Awards Billy Seymour Impact Award
- IFFHS Women’s World’s Best Goalkeeper
- IFFHS Women’s World Team of the Year
- FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11
- Women’s Football Awards: World Cup Hero
In a way, it is even more impressive that she bagged the SPOTY award without England or Manchester United securing major silverware. The Lionesses did claim the Finalissima but in terms of major trophies they had to settle for runners-up in the 2023 World Cup after losing to Spain 1-0 in the final. At club level, Earps played in every league minute as Manchester United finished just two points behind champions Chelsea and every minute of United’s FA Cup run which saw them beaten 1-0 by the Blues in the final.
The adidas Golden Glove Award goes to Mary Earps! pic.twitter.com/C25R45tfbm
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) August 20, 2023
Goalkeeper is often not the most appealing position for girls looking to get into the game but Earps has helped change this by being so good at what she does. When Nike, following mounting pressure, belatedly released Earps’ green long-sleeved Lionesses shirt in 2023, the product sold out twice within minutes. By this point, the petition calling for the shirt to be available had reached 150,000 signatures in just a matter of weeks.
What Came Next For Earps?
Earps was 30 years old when collecting her SPOTY award, around the sort of time when many goalkeepers start to hit their prime years. Despite this, the goalkeeper has since faced a real challenge to her status as England’s number one. In 2024 she was forced to share minutes with Hannah Hampton, who ended up making more appearances for the Lionesses than Earps.
Talking about the topic in October 2024, England boss Sarina Wiegman refused to clarify who her number one is. It is possible Earps will regain her spot as the favoured option but the younger Hampton seems to be the most likely call to get the nod for England at Euro 2025.
At club level, Earps left Manchester United behind on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 and moved to Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract. As expected, she has cemented herself as a regular starter at the French side and is conceding few goals. Despite this, the Parisiens are still struggling to match the quality of league rivals Olympique Lyonnais.
Other SPOTY Winners from Football
Here is the list of other footballers who have claimed the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award before Earps. As you can see, it is the first time in the history of the award there have been back-to-back footballing winners.
| Year | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Bobby Moore | English |
| 1990 | Paul Gascoigne | English |
| 1998 | Michael Owen | English |
| 2001 | David Beckham | English |
| 2009 | Ryan Giggs | Welsh |
| 2022 | Beth Mead | English |
| 2023 | Mary Earps | English |