Britain: Footballer Beth Mead beat Ben Stokes to win Sports Personality of the Year 

England and Arsenal winger Beth Mead won the Sports Personality of the Year title after heralding England's win in the Women's Euros in which she was the tournament's Golden Boot this year. The 27-year-old is the first footballer to win the award.

Mead's SPOTY victory completed a hat-trick of awards for British footballers at the BBC award night. The squad were voted Team of the Year for their Euros triumph, with Sarina Wiegman collecting the Coach of the Year award.

Widely regarded as 'the Lioness of British football', Beth Mead scored six goals to beat Germany 2-1 to claim Euro 2022 title for England. She was also chosen as UEFA's Player of the Tournament. Mead now faces a challenge to be fit for next year's Women's football World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Mead won the BBC public poll beating England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes and Olympic curling champion Eve Muirhead.

The other nominees on the six-person shortlist were gymnast Jessica Gadirova, 1500-metre world champion Jake Wightman and seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

An emotional Mead said: "I'm incredibly honoured to win this award."

"I wouldn't have done it without those girls over there and the team that have backed me. Yes, I've got this accolade, I did my job, I scored a few goals but I wouldn't have done it without them. And I certainly wouldn't have done it without my mum, my dad and all my family," she said.

"But most of all, this is for women's sport, and for women's sport heading in the right direction. So let's keep pushing girls and let's keep doing the right thing."

Her success makes her the 13th individual female winner of the award, with Jayne Torvill also claiming it as part of her ice dance partnership with Christopher Dean in 1984. She is also only the sixth footballer to win the award in its 68-year history.

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