What Mary Earps winning Manchester United Fans' Footballer of the Year vote says about women’s football

It has been quite the week for Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps.

On Tuesday night, the England shot stopper beat the likes of Stuart Broad, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Frankie Dettori to the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. And she has also landed the United Fans' Footballer of the Year by MEN Sport's readers.

While one honour might hold more weight for Earps than the other, her achievement in out fan poll provides yet another landmark for women's football. Even just a few years ago, it would have seemed unthinkable for a women's footballer to be named Player of the Year in a shortlist which included players from the men's team.

READ MORE: Earps wins United Fans' Footballer of the Year

READ MORE: Earps wins Sports Personality of the Year

However, Earps' achievements have resonated with fans of the game. She was instrumental for England, winning the Golden Glove at this summer's World Cup and helping the Lionesses reach the final.

Her performances for United saw her win the WSL's Golden Glove and she made history to become the first goalkeeper to keep 50 clean sheets in the competition. Earps added the England Women's Player of the Year to boot and finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or.

She has become one of the household names inspiring the next generation of footballers as the popularity of the women's game continues to grow. Earps' victory sends a message that the game is for everyone and no other United player can match up to what she has accomplished in 2023. The sport is on an upward trajectory and all fans of football should be pleased about that.