Who is England goalkeeper Mary Earps?
MARY Earps, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, is “one of the best goalkeepers in the world’’ — despite nearly leaving the game.
Here’s all you need to know about England's goalkeeper, from her achievements on and off the pitch.
Who is England goalkeeper Mary Earps?
Mary Earps was born on March 7, 1993, is an English professional footballer.
She plays in goal for the England national squad and for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League.
Earps started playing football young, keen to join her brother and father wanted to join because "it looked fun".
She said: "that was the beginning of a love story,’’ she later s
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In December 2023, it was announced that Mary was on the shortlist for the Sport’s Personality of the Year Award.
A public vote decides the winner, who is deemed the sportsperson who has achieved the most in a given year.
Earps, the bookie’s favourite, took home the trophy on the night— the first-ever goalkeeper to do so.
In her SPOTY acceptance speech, Earps referred to some low points in her career, such as when she was not selected for the England team and almost gave up on the sport.
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Earps said: "This is the ultimate all-round sporting accolade, the Lionesses and United have had an incredible couple of years. It's not been the easiest journey and I wouldn't be where I am without some incredible people in my corner.
"They have been with me through the really, really not-so-great times.”
Earps’ team-mate in the England squad Beth Mead made history by becoming the first female footballer to win the prestigious prize.
It was a year of accolades — in November 2023, Manchester United Women's star picked up the trophy for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year.
Earps also picked up the Fifa Best Women's Goalkeeper award.
Off the pitch, the star has also found social media success.
She’s also known as the 'TikTok Queen' among her football friends, and she now has over one million followers thanks to her hilarious and heartwarming videos.
Which teams has Mary Earps played for?
Earps arrived at Manchester United in 2019, where she has made 90 appearances.
But she made her senior debut in 2009, at Leicester, and spent time playing for her hometown club Nottingham Forest.
Throughout her career, she has also played at Bristol City, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Reading, and German giants Wolfsburg.
She also plays for England — and was awarded the Golden Glove award at the 2023 World Cup.
When did Mary Earps first appear for England?
Earps became a regular fixture in the Lionesses squad, since making her debut in 2017.
Earps appeared as a Lionness at the FIFA Women's World Cup in France in 2019.
Earps played a key role in England's success at the European Championships in 2022, keeping four clean sheets in six appearances at the tournament.
And then in 2023, she saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso, creating one of the most iconic sporting moments of the year, in the World Cup.
Earps was voted England Women's Player of the Year for 2022-23 and came fifth place in the Ballon d'Or.
Is Mary Earps on social media?
Mary Earps is an active user of social media.
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As of December 2023, Earps has 759k followers on Instagram, where she posts a mix of on and off-pitch content.
Her fans can also find Earps on TikTok, where she boasts 1.1 million followers and her posts have been liked 17.2 million times.