Mary Earps receives MBE at Windsor Castle
Manchester United and England Women's goalkeeper Mary Earps was honoured for her services to football on Wednesday.
Earps was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in a ceremony at Windsor Castle, following a stellar couple of years for club and country.
An ever-present for England as they won the European Championship on home soil in 2022, the 31-year-old was a key figure in the run to the Women's World Cup final last summer.
She was also integral to the Reds' excellent 2022/23 season, as we finished second in the Women's Super League and reached the FA Cup final for the first time.
Mary, who won BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was named the world's leading goalkeeper at FIFA's 'The Best' awards, received her MBE from William, Prince of Wales, at the royal residence.
“I think there’s still a lot of hard work to do,” she said to PA, when asked about her role in the growth of the women's game.
“I think that’s what we’re focused on, it’s the absolute recognition of how far we’ve come and that gratitude. Standing on the shoulders of the people who’ve worked before us and hopefully the future generations can stand on our shoulders as well.
“It’s continuously everybody involved in the game just continuing to try and push it in the right direction… long may it continue.”
Also honoured in the ceremony was former England men's keeper Peter Shilton, who was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to football and to the prevention of gambling harm.
Earps is the latest in a long line of United players to receive royal honours, with men's team players Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans given MBEs in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
The CEO of Manchester United Foundation, John Shiels, also has an MBE, for his work in educating and empowering young people, while MUDSA secretary Chas Banks was recognised two years ago for his services to people with disabilities.
Congratulations to Mary on her latest award and we're all hoping there's more joy to come for her and the Reds this weekend at Wembley. United Women face Tottenham Hotspur in the Adobe Women's FA Cup final on Sunday, with kick-off at 14:30 BST.
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Don’t miss out on your chance to support United Women at Old Trafford on Saturday 18 May, as the Reds take on Emma Hayes's Chelsea, and be a part of this record-breaking season for the WSL.