�鶹��

Available for over a year

Mary Earps has been voted �鶹��'s Women's Footballer of the Year, making history as the first goalkeeper to win the award. The 30-year-old has received numerous accolades for her contributions to England and Manchester United, among them the Golden Glove when England reached the World Cup final in August. Fans voted on the �鶹�� Sport website after a five-player shortlist was selected by a large panel of experts involved in football around the world, including coaches, players, administrators and journalists. Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí 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. The �鶹��’s Maz Farookhi spoke to Mary Earps who told her: “I’m really grateful to everybody who voted and I think it's been an incredible year. I’m so proud to be the first goalkeeper to win this award, that’s really tipped it for me…to be honest I thought Bonmatí might take it.” She added: “I try to use my story as a beacon of hope for people to show that there’s better days coming and you just have to keep going and to keep fighting. There was a time when no-one was really watching what I was doing and to work hard in silence and on your own, nobody notices what you do. It doesn’t matter what you do apart from to yourself and your own standards and I think that’s a big part of being where I am today.” (Picture: Shows Mary Earps of Manchester United Women at Ashton Gate Stadium on November 26, 2023 in Bristol, England. Credit: Charlotte Tattersall / Manchester United Football Club via Getty Images.)