Sam Kerr drops massive hint on her move to European giants
Sam Kerr is close to making a huge announcement on her immediate future. And while a high-profile English club is favoured to secure her signature, she’s not prepared to reveal all just yet.
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She couldn’t have dropped a more conspicuous hint if she tried.
And if Sam Kerr’s club future does indeed lie in England, her Matildas coach contends it’s the place where Australia’s best-known football name will finally find the front of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA’s player of the year trophy.
FA Women's Super League heavyweights Chelsea appear the most likely destination for Kerr, who has finally confirmed she’s heading to Europe and hopes to finalise the most important decision of her career within a week.
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As revealed by News Corp Australia back in June, the Blues have long been a frontrunner to secure the 26-year-old’s signature, among a throng of other lucrative contract offers including six-time Champions League winners Lyon.
And tellingly, some England-specific tournaments made it into Kerr’s press conference vernacular the day before she captains the Matildas in a friendly against Chile at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s been a few years in the making, this decision,” said Kerr, who sought advice from prospective club coaches as well as Matildas teammates already in Europe.
“It’s a really professional environment. They have huge club backings behind them so it’s just a different world from America and Australia.
“There’s so many different leagues — there’s the FA Cup, Continental Cup (FA Women’s League Cup), Champions League.
“So you’re playing 50 games a year with your club which is unusual for us Australians.”
The WSL is where Netherlands hot-shot and World Cup finalist Vivianne Miedema scored a league-high 22 goals to help Joe Montemurro’s Arsenal to the title.
It’s where the majority of Phil Neville's World Cup semi-finalists ply their trade.
And where Kerr could find herself becoming teammates with Norway defender Maria Thorisdottir, a protagonist in Australia’s round-of-16 downfall in France.
And for a striker getting too used to breaking her own scoring records – she’s won five consecutive golden boots across the American NWSL and Australian W-League and is the all-time leading scorer in both – the key for Kerr is pushing outside her “comfort zone”.
Matildas coach Ante Milicic said the impending move made it only a matter of time before she’d start winning globally prestigious awards like the Ballon d’Or, for which she is nominated a second time, and the FIFA best women's player award she’s yet to claim despite being nominated three years running.
“She’s dominated wherever she’s played and she’s looking for a new challenge and is backing herself,” Milicic said.
“Australia is very fortunate we have a player of her calibre leading the country, and we really look forward to seeing what she does next and get the recognition she deserves on the world stage.
“Europe is completely different football. The American league is very open, there’s a lot of transition moments ... (European teams) are tactically flexible.”
Matildas legend Julie Dolan felt world football’s pivot to Europe could only mean good things for a forward who totalled five World Cup group-stage goals including a record-breaking four against Jamaica.
“It’s having to develop the finer points of her game to make her a much better player,” Dolan said.
“That would be the place to do it because she seems quite comfortable in other leagues, not really pressured to be at the very pinnacle of the game.”
The other major attraction for Kerr herself is the thought of playing a single season each year, a luxury not experienced in six straight years of back-to-back Australian and US summers.
“I’m getting older, believe it or not,” Kerr said.
“I’m starting to realise that I’m needing that mental break more than anything, so that was a big pull for me to go to Europe.
“To have that time scheduled in a calendar year that I’ll be able to have time away from the game, which I think is really important.”
KERR’S GOLDEN BOOTS
2017 NWSL (Sky Blue FC) - 17 regular-season goals to break record
2017-18 W-League (Perth Glory) - 13 regular-season goals to break record
2018 NWSL (Chicago Red Stars) - 16 regular-season goals
2018-19 W-League (Perth Glory) - 17 total goals (13 in regular season to equal own record)
2019 NWSL (Chicago Red Stars) - 19 total goals (18 in regular season to break own record)
NWSL all-time scoring record: 69 goals from 109 appearances
W-League all-time scoring record: 70 goals from 97 appearances