It was in Sunderland, throughout England’s first recreation again on residence soil after their historic run to the Women’s World Cup remaining in Australia, that Mary Earps first heard it. She’d simply made a reasonably comfy save and, with 85 minutes on the clock, was taking her time to restart the sport as the Lionesses hung on for a 2-1 win over Scotland. Her extended possession didn’t simply give her staff some respite, although. It additionally gave the gang the prospect to serenade their star goalkeeper, who has spent the final two years capturing the hearts of a nation.

‘Mary, Mary, Mary’ rang out across the Stadium of Light as Earps launched the ball up the pitch, persevering with at the same time as her kick was contested in Scotland’s defensive third. It was the kind of adoration usually reserved for the native heroes that return residence with their nationwide staff – however Nottingham-born Earps has heard this in grounds up and down the nation over the previous few months.

“I was a bit confused because I didn’t know what the crowd was shouting,” she told The Times last month. “It’s something I’d never experienced. You’re trying not to get distracted from the task at hand because, as much as I want to sit here and be like, ‘Yeah, a game’s a game, you don’t really care,’ you do. It feels so special. It’s like a tingly feeling. I’d love it if I could bottle that feeling. It’s like you’re connected to people.”

Earps’ status as a cult hero has only grown in the months since. Whether it’s her highly-anticipated goalkeeper shirts promoting out in minutes, the Nottingham tram that has been named after her or an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University, the 30-year-old has been showered with admiration by the public.

The only thing that can compare is the prolific manner in which she has been recognised with individual awards. Earps has been crowned BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards and England Women’s Player of the Year, to checklist only a few, for the reason that World Cup. Earps’ fifth-placed finish in the Ballon d’Or voting was the best ever for a goalkeeper on the women’s side and she’s a nominee for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award again, too.

On Tuesday evening, her newest achievement mixed these two sides when she was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. SPOTY is an prestigious accolade that has been a spotlight of the award season within the United Kingdom for nearly 70 years – and Earps is simply the seventh footballer to win it, becoming a member of Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and, solely final yr, Lionesses team-mate Beth Mead.

In 2021, after falling out of the image fully, Earps admitted that taking part in for England once more wasn’t on the forefront of her considering. In 2023, she helped information her nation to a primary soccer World Cup remaining since 1966 and has simply closed out the yr by profitable maybe essentially the most coveted particular person prize in British sport. Her rise from outcast to icon has been unimaginable.