Sports Personality of the Year 2022: England Lioness Beth Mead ‘thrilled’ as she is named favourite to win award

It has been an extremely successful year for England Lionesses star Beth Mead, and she is now celebrating having made it to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 shortlist.

The England forward, 27, from Whitby, is a strong favourite to win the award after guiding the Lionesses to their first trophy at a major women’s tournament.

Mead took to Instagram to announce her shortlist in a new post and said she was "thrilled" about the news.

She said: “I am thrilled to announce that I’m on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 shortlist! Watch the show tomorrow night from 6.45 pm on @bbcsport #BBCSPOTY.”

The Women’s Super League striker recently penned a new deal with Arsenal following a stellar 2021/22 season for club and country.

Mead joined Arsenal from Sunderland in 2017 and has since scored 61 goals in 166 appearances for the club.

The 27-year-old played a key role in England’s Euro 2022 triumph as she fired them to glory with six goals in six games and provided five assists.

She won the Golden Boot for leading scorer and was named player of the tournament.

"It was a proud moment for me and a surreal moment, walking out of that tunnel and going to play football in front of a home crowd," Mead said of the Euro 2022 triumph. "The day in general, the noise in general, the atmosphere was honestly something I’ll never feel or experience again."

Bookmakers have placed odds of 1/25 on Mead to scoop the main award of the evening.

Mead is joined on the shortlist by England cricket captain Ben Stokes, snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan, gymnast Jessica Gadirova, curler Eve Muirhead and runner Jake Wightman.

Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will receive the Lifetime Achievement award, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi is the World Sport Star of the Year following his World Cup win in Qatar.

The winner will be announced during the live show on BBC One on Wednesday 21 December, at 6:45 pm.

To find out more about Beth Mead visit: https://www.peopleworld.co.uk/people/beth-mead