'It's a bit ridiculous': jubilant England star Earps picks up BBC award after stellar year

The England goalkeeper Mary Earps. was last night named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year for 2023 after 12 months of success both on and off the field.

- Paul MacInnes

The football World Cup star described her prize as the "ultimate all-round sporting accolade" as she accepted the trophy in front of an audience of sporting stars in Salford's Media City. She is the third woman in three years to win Sports Personality of the Year (Spoty), the first time there has been such a streak in the long-running competition since the 1960s. The men's cricketer Stuart Broad finished as runner-up, with the heptathlete Katarina JohnsonThompson third.

"I am going to try this Christmas to get some time to reflect and think about it all," Earps said. "It has been an incredible couple of years and I just feel really, really grateful to have been given an opportunity to fulfil my wildest dreams. It is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I cannot believe I am standing up here - and I had a long walk in this dress and these heels. It's a bit ridiculous." Earps, 30, was dropped from the Lionesses in 2019 and thought about international retirement. She said the experience had helped her develop as a person. "I think what I've learned over the last couple of years is you've got to show a lot of resilience in life, a lot of character," she said. "It's never easy. We all go through hard times.