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<\/p>\nMary Earps has been given a degree at her former university <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been awarded an honorary doctorate at her alma mater.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old said she was \u201cproud\u201d to be part of a growth in women\u2019s football and said she hoped that future generations would benefit even further as she was awarded for her contribution to sport.<\/p>\n
The Lioness said it was \u201cpretty incredible\u201d to receive the honorary degree from Loughborough University.<\/p>\n
Accepting the award, the England and Manchester United player described her time at the university \u2013 where she gained a degree in information management and business studies in 2016 \u2013 as \u201cmanic\u201d and said she did not expect life to be \u201ca lot more manic later down the line\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be awarded an honorary doctorate is pretty incredible,\u201d Earps said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s even more special to come back to where I studied and gained a degree in 2016. Life at Loughborough back then was what I thought was manic, little did I know life was going to get a lot more manic later down the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to be part of the growth of women\u2019s football. Many people have come before us and we\u2019ve stood on their shoulders and benefited from that. Hopefully, future generations will equally benefit from what we\u2019ve achieved in this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know being here today is not something everyone gets to do and I\u2019m thankful to be awarded this honorary degree for my contributions to sport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earps made her full international debut a year after graduating from the university, which is well known for its sporting achievements.<\/p>\n
She helped the Lionesses achieve European glory in 2022 when the team won the Uefa Women\u2019s European Championships.<\/p>\n
The squad narrowly missed out on World Cup glory this year when they were knocked out in the final, but Earps was named the best goalkeeper at the tournament and awarded the Golden Glove accolade.<\/p>\n
She was voted BBC Women\u2019s Footballer of the Year 2023 and has been nominated for the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, which will be announced next week.<\/p>\n
Earps was made a \u201cDoctor of the University\u201d at Loughborough\u2019s winter graduation service on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Professor Nick Jennings, vice-chancellor and president of Loughborough University, said:\u202f\u201cMary\u2019s contribution to women\u2019s football has been nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe consistently performs brilliantly at the very highest level, inspiring both peers and future generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cLoughborough is an institution that is synonymous with sporting excellence and alumna such as Mary make us incredibly proud.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re delighted to award Mary an honorary degree as we look forward to her achieving yet more greatness on the global stage.\u201d<\/p>\n