Mary Earps, the goalkeeper for England’s national team, was honoured with an MBE for her contributions to football during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The Prince of Wales presented her with the award, recognising her achievements as a Manchester United player and her role in helping the Lionesses win the Women’s Euros in 2022 and reach the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
Earps was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, an experience she described as “incredible.”
She grew up in Nottingham and says she is proud to represent her country on both a national and international level.
Earps expressed her admiration for the conversations she has with people about her actions, whether helping them or inspiring them in some way.
As part of the Lionesses team, she says she believes their strong values and principles resonate with others.
The trailblazer also acknowledges and appreciates the growth of women’s football and feels grateful to be able to follow in the footsteps of those who paved the way before her in this sport.
Despite Earps’ strong desire to inspire the next generation of goalkeepers, her own future is uncertain as her Manchester United contract will come to an end at the conclusion of the season.
In their dominating 4-0 victory over Tottenham in the Women’s FA Cup, the goalkeeper managed to keep a clean sheet and help her team to their first ever cup win after last year’s disappointment against Chelsea.
This was a significant moment for the club, who have not performed as well in the league this season but showed a completely different level of play in front of an impressive crowd of over 76,000 at Wembley Stadium.
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