Blues fans had a rollercoaster of emotions this morning that ended on a high as star striker Sam Kerr extended her contract with the club.
A top-secret announcement about the Matildas star was teased on X yesterday by journalists, but it was unclear exactly what the news would be. Kerr’s contract was coming to an end with no renewal yet announced and with the departure of Emma Hayes, some were uncertain whether the Australian would remain at Kingsmeadow.
Embed from Getty ImagesAt 9am, the club tweeted an emotional video interview with Kerr that appeared to imply she was leaving…
… only to post twenty minutes later that she had in fact renewed her contract.
Kerr, 30, signed for Chelsea from Chicago Red Stars in 2019 and has been a crucial part of their historic dynasty under Hayes.
She’s part of the side that have won five consecutive Women’s Super League titles, an unprecedented feat. Kerr also has three FA Cups and two League Cups in her trophy cabinet with Chelsea.
As an individual, she has won the WSL Golden Boot in two consecutive season (2020/21 and 2021/22), and finished as a runner-up to Aitana Bonmatí in the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Kerr said: “It’s really exciting and a very proud moment for me. Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I’m really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies.”
The Australian was ruled out of the remainder of the season in January, and this summer’s Olympics with the Matildas, after becoming the latest in a long list of stars to rupture her ACL. The club will hope to have her back toward the end of the year, or early in 2025 – but have plenty of firepower to replace her in the meantime with the likes of Catarina Macario and Mayra Ramírez.
As the WSL waits to see what Chelsea look like in a post-Hayes era, Blues fans can at least be reassured that their talismanic striker isn’t going anywhere.