The BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 shortlist has been announced, and nestled among household names like Frankie Dettori and Katerina Johnson-Thompson is someone the entire country fell in love with all over again this summer: Mary Earps.

We may have finished as runners up in the Fifa Women’s World Cup, but Earps provided highlight after a highlight. In fact, her performance both on and off the pitch probably responsible for getting more women into the sport, with her meme-worthy facial expressions and iconic displays of  passion. 

The vision in head-to-toe salmon pink saved goal after penalty all tournament. No one since David Seaman (and possibly before) has made being a goalie look so cool, so effortless. 

She’ll forever be remembered for saving that controversial penalty taken by Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso… and her Logan Roy-esque ‘F*** OFF!’ afterwards. In a world where women are often told to ‘calm down’ or avoid being ‘too emotional’, she let the relief rip. How refreshing to see someone like that react as viscerally as a male player might – and be lauded for it. Quite rightly, she was awarded the adidas Golden Glove Award (which goes to the tournament’s best goal keeper).

If she goes onto win SPOTY, she’ll be the second Lioness to do so in a row after Beth Mead nabbed the trophy last year. That’s be huge for women’s football – and women’s sport in general.

It’s not just us who are obsessed with Mary Earps; the internet is too.  

Images: Getty