Sam Kerr is one of the best female players in the world, having broken scoring records at club level as well as for her country, whilst being consistently ranked as one of the top players at end of year awards nights.
She has also become one of the most recognisable female footballers since her move to Chelsea and subsequent success at the English side.
From endorsement deals with Nike, to being on the cover of one of the most popular video games, it is proof that she is truly an icon of football.
It is a remarkable rise for someone who grew up playing another sport and admitted that she 'hated' the round ball game.
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When did Sam Kerr begin playing football?
It may come as a surprise that as a child Kerr began playing Aussie Rules football instead of the football she has become such an expert at today.
Growing up in Western Australia with her father and older brother being professional Aussie Rules players, it's little surprise that Kerr initially took up that sport as a youngster.
It was only when she was 12 years old that she made the switch to the world game, where despite needing some time to adjust, she was soon taken into the academy side at Perth Glory, the local W-League side.
It seems that she still retains some roots from her old sport; during a Champions League tie in 2021 she made headlines for shoulder charging a pitch invader in a move that is more regularly seen on the MCG than on a cold night in London.
Sam Kerr with just *the most* satisfying shoulder barge you will ever see last night pic.twitter.com/0cAD7Cicac
— Football Ramble (@FootballRamble) December 9, 2021
Sam Kerr early career
Kerr made her professional debut at the age of 15 for the Perth Glory in the Australian W-League, and her impressive performances there earned her a move to the USA and the Western New York Flash in 2013.
For the next six years she alternated between the two countries, playing for multiple clubs, including Sydney FC in Australia, and Sky Blue FC and the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
She took both leagues by storm, winning the golden boot in 2017, 2018 and 2019 in the NWSL, and in the W-League in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
She also broke the all-time scoring record for the NWSL, and with the biggest European clubs beginning to invest heavily in their women's sides, it was only a matter of time before Kerr was signed by such a club.
Sam Kerr Chelsea career
Kerr joined Chelsea in 2020, and she has continued to go from strength to strength at one of the most successful clubs in women's football.
She scored 31 goals in her first full season at the club and won the golden boot in the league in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, helping win the title in those seasons; overall Kerr has won the title every season she has been at Chelsea.
She has also played a key role in Chelsea's success in cup competitions; scoring a hat-trick in the 2021 League Cup Final, and a brace in the 2021 and 2022 FA Cup Final wins. Most recently she scored the winning goal in the 2023 FA Cup Final against Manchester United.
Sam Kerr makes it 1-0 for Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 14, 2023
Celebrating the only way she knows how 🤸 pic.twitter.com/p2676mKrFG
The one trophy that has eluded her thus far is the Champions League, though she did score in Chelsea's semifinal defeat to Barcelona in April.
Sam Kerr international career
Sam Kerr has also become a star player for the Australian national team, known as the Matildas, becoming their captain in 2019 and a leader on and off the pitch.
She scored in the 2010 Asian Cup Final that the Matildas eventually won, and she scored twice at the 2019 World Cup where the Matildas were eliminated in the round of 16.
She also broke the all-time scoring record for Australian international players (both men and women) in 2022 — surpassing Tim Cahill — and her goal tally currently sits at 63 goals in 120 games.
She has played a variety of positions for the national team since her debut in 2010, be it up front, on the wing or as an attacking midfielder, but she manages to produce and perform in the green and gold, and she will have high hopes for a home World Cup that begins in July.
What has Sam Kerr achieved off the pitch?
Her performances and goalscoring feats are not the only thing that Kerr has achieved in her career, with her activities off the pitch gaining significant recognition.
She was named Young Australian of the Year in 2018 partly due to her role in advocating for women's sport, and she was also given an Order of Australia Medal in 2022 for her services to football.
Her fame as a world class footballer led to her being chosen as a cover star for FIFA 23, one of the world's most popular video games and the first time that a female footballer was on the global cover of the game.
She is held in such high regard in Australia that she was even chosen to be the flag bearer for her country at the coronation of King Charles III and Camilla in May