Sam Kerr unveils stunning new look in magazine cover shoot

Sam Kerr is one of Australia’s most recognisable athletes, but social media has erupted over the superstar’s brand new look.

Matildas star Sam Kerr and fiancee Kristie Mewis. Photo: Instagram

Sam Kerr is comfortably one of the most recognisable athletes — heck, people — in Australia and increasingly around the world.

Her goalscoring exploits for club and country, along with those trademark backflipping celebrations the Chelsea star says she needs to stop doing, have made her a household name.

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“I turned 30 a month ago,” Kerr said after keeping the celebrations under wraps across her hat-trick for the Matildas against Philippines in Perth back in October. “Those days are over.”

The West Australian surely doesn’t need the trademark flips anymore and Australian football fans will want her to protect those troublesome calf muscles that seriously impacted her World Cup campaign on home soil.

Matildas star Sam Kerr and fiancee Kristie Mewis. Photo: Instagram

But the country’s all-time leading goalscorer has shown she can still unveil a completely new look, as seen in her cover story with magazine Esquire Australia.

In the upcoming December/January edition of the magazine, Kerr graces the cover along with the headline ‘The triumphant rise of the people’s player’.

In a wide-ranging interview, Kerr discusses the impact the Matildas made during that memorable World Cup semi-final run, cultural differences between her home in the UK and Australia and how she deals with fame.

But it is the wardrobe choices from Kerr and the magazine that truly capture attention.

On the cover, the Aussie icon is wearing a Ralph Lauren suit, shirt and bow tie along with an IWC watch.

Throughout the story, Kerr is pictured in a variety of suits from the likes of Giorgio Armani, Huge Boss and AMI.

Kerr seems to be relishing the shoots and discussed a side of her personality that most wouldn’t know.

“People don’t see that (shyness) in me on the pitch because I like to entertain and do fun celebrations,” Kerr told Esquire.

How we're accustomed to seeing her. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

“But I’ve always been quite a shy person when I first meet people. What you see on the pitch is, of course, me — but it’s also a little bit of an alter ego.”

The photo shoot has drawn a huge response on social media, with an Instagram post getting over 90,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments.

Along with a series of goat emojis and fainting gifs, fans applauded Kerr’s look.

“So chic!” wrote one.

“Finally some decent styling on this legend!!! Amazing,” wrote another.

“Niiiice! Looks good suited and booted as well as in footy kit!” added another.

“What a fricken amazing person,” wrote a fourth.

Kerr also had a hilarious line in the article when discussing her engagement to fellow football professional Mewis.

It was put to Kerr that photos of her proposing to Mewis on bended knee were the equivalent of a royal wedding to the lesbian community.

“Yeah,” Kerr laughed. “It’s Harry and Meghan, and us.”

The Esquire Magazine edition with Sam Kerr is available from December 14.