watoday– Matildas hero Sam Kerr has always had big ambitions. As one of the world’s top players, she was won many individual accolades, but in the coming week and then months, the 27-year-old striker has the chance to achieve three of her biggest ambitions with her club and country.
Winning the Champions League title and English Women’s Super League titles with Chelsea. Claiming an Olympic medal with the Matildas at the delayed Tokyo Olympics. As befits a big-time player, they are big goals. And so, one of the biggest weeks in Kerr’s storied career begins on Sunday night (AEST) when her English club Chelsea aim to progress to the Champions League final.
“I want to win the European Champions League, the [English] league playing the full season – last year it was cut short with COVID – and with the national team I have plenty I want to do,” Kerr told the Sunday Age and Sun-Herald.
“We haven’t won much to be honest, so I want to win an Asian Cup, I would love to medal at a World Cup or Olympics.
“There’s a lot that I want to do, but most of it is team related, and the exciting thing is that I have many of those in my control over the next few weeks.”
Chelsea must overturn a one-goal deficit against German powerhouse Bayern Munich in their return leg of the Champions League semi-final. The Blues lost the first leg in Germany 2-1 but Kerr is confident that she and her stable of star-studded teammates can get the job done at home.
In the Super League, Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with challenger Manchester City put them in the box seat to take the title as they are now two points clear with two games to go. Maximum points against mid-table Tottenham and Reading next week will guarantee Chelsea a second title in a row.
Then, course, Kerr will lead Australia in the Olympic women’s soccer tournament in Tokyo in July when they face difficult group games against Sweden, the US and New Zealand.
Kerr is settled in London and after a sticky start to her career with Chelsea she is now a regular goal-scorer and happy with her form – up to a point. She leads the goalscoring charts with 18, tied at the top with Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema, but wants to win the Golden Boot on her own. Such is her form that she has been nominated for the league’s player of the season award.
“I always think I can impact the game more, but I am happy where the team is sitting , there’s a chance we can win the league in the next week, there’s a big Champions League game at the weekend,” she said.
“But I am never going to be satisfied with just 18 goals. I want more, I always want more.
“This Sunday, I am confident of the prospect of turning it round against Bayern.″
