England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps has been voted BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year.
Earps won the Golden Glove as England reached the World Cup final in August, which they lost 1-0 to Spain.
She also helped United finish second in the 2022-23 Women’s Super League (WSL).
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati came second in the voting, while Chelsea forward Sam Kerr finished third.
Sweden and Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfo and Germany and Vfl Wolfsburg’s Alexandra Popp were also on the five-player shortlist.
Earps has enjoyed a stellar year for club and country and her name is now synonymous with the Lionesses.
She kept 14 clean sheets for Manchester United in 2022-23 – a WSL record – as the Red Devils achieved their highest league finish.
Earps, who came fifth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or, also made an impact off the field as she took England’s kit manufacturer Nike to task for not producing replicas of her shirt for fans to buy during the World Cup.
A key figure in England’s successful 2022 European Championship campaign, Earps helped the national side build on that momentum as she started all seven fixtures at the 2023 World Cup, keeping three clean sheets and being voted winner of the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Earps saved a Jenni Hermoso penalty in the final against Spain but the Lionesses fell to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.
After a two-year England absence between November 2019 and September 2021, Earps considered retiring from international football but has since established herself as one of the world’s top goalkeepers.
Earps is the fourth Briton to win the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award, following in the footsteps of two-time winner Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead in 2022 and 2016 victor Kim Little.
The Nottingham-born goalkeeper featured in all 22 of Manchester United’s WSL fixtures in 2022-23 and has started each of their seven league outings this campaign.
Upon receiving the award, Earps was also sent congratulatory messages by the most-capped Lioness Fara Williams and former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.
