Beth Mead wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year as England Women named best team
- Mead first women's footballer to win award
- England Women named Team of the Year
- Sarina Wiegman gets Coach of the Year
WHAT HAPPENED? Arsenal forward Mead was a pivotal part of England's Euro 2022 winning team. She won the tournament's Golden Boot, having scored six goals and made five assists, and was named Player of the Tournament.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mead is the first woman football player to be honoured at the BBC awards ceremony, while her Lionesses side was named Team of the Year and manager Sarina Wiegman was given the title of Coach of the Year.
Mead, however, was on crutches at the ceremony after she tore her ACL.
WHAT THEY SAID?: "I'm speechless for once," said Mead. "I'm incredibly honoured to win this award. I wouldn't have done it without the girls. The team have backed me. Yes, I've won this accolade, I've scored a few goals but I wouldn't have done it without them."
IN THREE PHOTOS:
THE VERDICT:
❤️ OUR BETH MEAD ❤️
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) December 21, 2022
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pi5hnKDtfI
Beth Mead becomes the fourteenth woman, and only the sixth footballer after Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs, to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. #BBCSPOTY pic.twitter.com/CAlrInMbHC
— Asif Burhan (@AsifBurhan) December 21, 2022
Beth Mead is a huge factor in a squad that quite literally inspired millions.
— Ellis Platten - AwayDays (@ellis_platten) December 21, 2022
The deserved winner of sports personality of the year for sure.
Absolutely delighted for Beth Mead. She’s a stunning player, who has had a tough year off the pitch and that is so well deserved for her achievements on it. What a night for the Lionesses - and women’s football. Their success getting the recognition it deserves.
— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) December 21, 2022
WHAT NEXT FOR MEAD? The Arsenal forward is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will hope to be fit in time for the 2023 World Cup.