Beth Mead: England forward named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2022

England and Arsenal guardant Beth Mead has been named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2022.

The 27-year-old was besides runner-up successful the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

"I don't deliberation I've rather processed it yet. It's a immense honour for me," Mead told BBC Sport.

"I've conscionable been enjoying my shot this play and for me, these are bully trophies to get clasp of, but again, I proceed to support saying it and it's becoming a cliche now, but I wouldn't person got these without my team-mates passim the play astatine Arsenal, passim the play for the planetary team."

Chelsea guardant Sam Kerr came 2nd and Barcelona guardant Alexia Putellas - the Ballon d'Or winner - was third.

The different nominees connected the five-player shortlist for the BBC World Service grant were Germany's Alexandra Popp and France and Lyon skipper Wendie Renard.

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Mead, who has scored 29 goals successful 49 games for England, was presented with the grant by the Lionesses' grounds scorer Ellen White, who told BBC Sport: "I deliberation she tin spell connected to people truthful galore goals for England, the entity is the bounds for her.

"What she's achieved successful her vocation truthful far, and her development, the mode that she's truthful focused connected her performance, and what she's doing astatine Arsenal, I deliberation it's unthinkable and it bodes good for the England team."

Mead scored 11 goals for Arsenal successful the Women's Super League past season, the 3rd highest successful the league, arsenic good arsenic providing the joint-highest fig of assists with eight.

The guardant took that signifier into the Euros with England, wherever she was named subordinate of the tourney aft helping the Lionesses to triumph their archetypal ever large trophy - and the archetypal large rubric for the men's oregon women's squad since 1966.

She scored six goals, associated apical scorer with Germany's Popp, but capable to grant her the Golden Boot connected relationship of her 4 assists.

"Playing successful your ain state successful those types of competitions, it's what you imagination of, truthful to travel distant and triumph it was unthinkable and I deliberation a feeling that volition unrecorded with america for our lifetimes," said Mead.

Mead's singular signifier has continued this play for her club, with Arsenal presently apical of the WSL aft winning each six matches, portion she was besides the prima of the amusement successful October's 5-1 demolition of Champions League holders Lyon.

England skipper and Arsenal team-mate Leah Williamson said it had been a "pleasure" to play alongside Mead for nine and country.

"I've looked up to Beth. What you spot is what you get with her she's had a large twelvemonth and I'm gladsome she's got the designation due to the fact that these are the moments we play for," said Williamson.

"When a forward's connected fire, similar she was during that tournament, it's a bully feeling for the team, due to the fact that you cognize that arsenic agelong arsenic you play good capable the clip volition travel oregon the infinitesimal volition come. She's been a unit of quality for England implicit the past 12 months."

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