Beth Mead has been named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022.
Our forward picked up the prestigious award in Salford this evening, after being recognised by the British public for her achievements during the year.
Beth’s win is the first time in the award’s 68-year history that a female footballer has appeared in the top three of the voting, let alone finished in first place, as she follows in the footsteps of some of Great Britain’s finest-ever sportspeople, including the likes of Henry Cooper, Steve Redgrave, Andy Murray, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Lewis Hamilton.
She is only the sixth footballer to receive the accolade, with Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs the others, and the first since 2009.
Speaking at the ceremony, she said: "I'm incredibly honoured to win this award. Yes, I've got this accolade and I did my job - I scored a few goals! But I couldn't have done without [my fellow Lionesses], my dad, my mum and all my family.
"Most of all, this is for women's sport and for women's sport heading in the right direction," she continued. "Let's keep pushing, girls. Let's keep doing the right thing."
2022 has been quite the year for Beth, who registered 11 goals and eight assists, during the campaign - the latter being the most in the division that term - and was subsequently named our Women’s Player of the Season.
She carried that form into Euro 2022, where she was influential during the tournament, netting a record six goals in a single edition, which included a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage. She also laid on five assists for her teammates, which was also the most during the competition.
As well as winning the Lionesses’ first major international prize, Beth also landed the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament award. She netted 13 goals for her country this calendar year and was crowned England Women’s Player of the Year for 2021/22.
She was runner-up in the Ballon d’Or and UEFA Women's Player of the Year, but won the BBC's Women's Footballer of the Year before this latest accolade.
She has five goals and four assists in 11 games so far this season, and last week signed a new deal at the club.
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