England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps made it back-to-back SPOTY winners for the Lionesses after Beth Mead secured the award last year.
Earps was one of six nominees, finishing ahead of Stuart Broad (cricket), Frankie Dettori (horse racing), Alfie Hewett (wheelchair tennis), Katarina Johnson-Thompson (athletics) and Rory Mcllroy (golf).
The award comes after Earps enjoyed another stellar year, playing every minute of the Lionesses’ run to the World Cup final and picking up multiple awards, including the tournament’s Golden Glove, Best Women’s Goalkeeper at FIFA’s The Best awards and being named England Women’s Player of the Year.
When collecting her award, Earps said: “I am very honoured and humbled. To me, I think this is the ultimate all-round sporting accolade and I think as the Lionesses – and Manchester United as well – we have had a couple of incredible years, and this is just…wow.
“It has not been the easiest journey and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now without a number of incredible people in my corner so finally I just want to say thank you to them.
“I am so glad that I can bring some of my loved ones here today, although I am not going to look at them directly in the eye now because it would be too much [for me].
“They have been with me through the really, really not so great times and the last two years have been absolutely unbelievable. I have done more than I could ever have imagined and for that, I am truly incredibly grateful. And to Ian Wilcock and Darren Ward, my goalkeeper coaches who are here tonight as well.
“Again, thank you so much to my team-mates and my coaches because I wouldn’t be here without you all. I don’t know what else to say so I am going to get off the stage before I get the boot from Gary Lineker – whey!”
