Lionesses star Mary Earps gave an emotionally rousing speech after winning The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper award on Monday night.
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Earps named The Best FIFA Women's GoalkeeperClaimed the award after beating Spain's Coll and Australia's ArnoldUrged her fans to keep speaking out against injusticesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Manchester United keeper lifted the gong in London's Apollo Theatre after receiving more votes than Spain's Cata Coll and Australia's Mackenzie Arnold. Earps was recognised after her stunning displays between the sticks for the Red Devils last season and for the England national team at the 2023 Women's World Cup. She has already won numerous individual accolades over the past few months, and has now developed some impressive oratory skills, which were on full display during her latest acceptance speech.
AdvertisementWHAT EARPS SAID
"Wow, thank you very, very, very, very, very much," Earps began amid a huge round of applause. "To be honest, last year I won the award but didn’t get in the team of the year so I thought when I’d made team of the year this was kind of me done for the night. I want to say thank you so much to my teammates who are just unbelievable. I feel incredibly privileged to get to share a pitch with you, learn from you and make so many incredible memories with you, so thank you because, without you, I would not be on this stage thank you so much.
"I’m also going to give a little shout-out to [goalkeeping coaches] Darren Ward and Ian Wilcock because they say they don’t like the little shout-outs, but they do. Thank you to all my England and [Manchester] United coaches."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Earps' remarkable three-year journey reflects an incredible transformation in her character. From contemplating leaving football at the start of 2021 and facing contract uncertainties at Manchester United, to becoming a European champion and a World Cup finalist, it has been a roller-coaster ride for the shot-stopper. Earps' resilience and dedication were pivotal in this evolution and the keeper urged her fans to keep speaking against injustices to make the world a better place.
"I’m just blown away," she said. "I talk about it a lot: it has not been the easiest journey to get here – some would say I took the scenic route – and I have had to wait a long time for this kind of success. But looking back now, it all makes total sense, everything I went through. We are all humans and we all have struggles, right? But it just made me feel so much more prepared for the challenges I face today, and to able to enjoy these moments so much more and to realise how pretty unbelievable they are and to never take a single day for granted. If you’re struggling and you are going through hell, keep going. It’s never too late to be exactly who you are. I think 2023 showed us that when we come together and we speak out on injustices, we can change the world, so let’s continue to do that."
DID YOU KNOW?
Earps has been recognised with several prestigious individual prizes, including the much-covetedBBC Sports Personality of the Yearaward. She has also been crownedBBC Women's Footballer of the Year,Sportswoman of the Year at the British Sports Journalism AwardsandEngland Women's Player of the Year.
