Dear Sam,

You're about to be sold something big. Chelsea want to sign you. Yeah, that Chelsea. You'll be promised a lot by Emma Hayes. She has already won so much with this club, but she wants more and she wants to do it with you. She'll promise you success and trophies, but what you’ll find is a family and a home.

You’re going to have to move across the world for it. It’s a lot to take in, I know. But, don’t worry, it’s the right decision. You will fall in love with this club. You’ll love it more than I can even explain to you in this letter, but I am going to try.

You are worried you might not settle here. You'll be wrong. Like, really wrong. And you will realise you’re wrong pretty quickly. Almost straight away, this club will feel like home. The fans, the players and the staff all welcome you with open arms. This will be the longest you stay at one club and it’s because of them.

You'll stay because it feels right. You know that desire we have to win? You'll be in the right place for it. The club wants to be great. So do you. This is not a place where one trophy is enough. You will love that. It’ll be demanding and tough. But this club will push you, year after year, to a new level.

Sam, I’ve got to tell you about the FA Cup! Remember how we used to watch it all the way from Australia as a kid? You're going to play in the final. You’ll stay in the hotel looking on to Wembley before the game and think about that a lot. If only little Sam knew! And guess what, it’s not just one final. Or two. It’s three. You'll win them all. You'll score in all three finals, too. They’re not bad goals either, if I do say so myself!

You'll score a lot of goals on the way to a lot of trophies. Five league titles in a row, three FA Cups, two League Cups and a Community Shield and you'll stay because you're hungry for more. I told you Emma would deliver on the promises of trophies...

You'll stay to net that 100th goal. 99 so far... we’re so close! You’ll score some unbelievable goals. There will be plenty of backflips. You’ll also score goals that might not be flashy or be Puskas Award-worthy (you’ll be nominated for one of those with the Tillies, by the way), but they’ll help the team and that’s what counts. That’s what matters to you the most.

I can’t lie to you, it won't always be easy. There will be doubters and you might start to question yourself at times. People will think you don't have what it takes to compete with the best in Europe after playing in the US. You will prove them wrong. You will prove yourself wrong. You will learn so much about yourself. You're going to grow in confidence. People might think how is that even possible, that you always look super confident on the pitch. We know that is a bit of an alter ego, but you’ll learn to back yourself at Chelsea. Keep backing yourself in the biggest moments. There will be plenty of opportunities to do so in Chelsea blue.

You’re going to experience the toughest period of your career at Chelsea. But, even then there is nowhere else you’d rather be. It’s going to be a knee injury - and a bad one, at that. Everyone gets behind you. I told you already, it’s like a family here. It is going to be really hard, but the team and the fans will help you through it. They make you feel valued, even if you’re not able to impact things on the pitch.

You’re on the road to recovery now. Every single person is just as important as the other here. You are not just the Sam Kerr who scores goals. You are Sam the player, the person, the team-mate, the friend. You will be made to feel like one of their own, as if you came up right through the Academy. A Blue is a Blue, no matter what.

It won’t just be the club that feels like home. It will be the city, too. You are going to fall in love with London. It will be different to Australia and the US, but that is why you are going to love it so much. Embrace it. It will be the Chelsea community. It will be the football culture across the city. Everyone talks about football here. You will be walking down the street and someone will chat to you about football. You will be grabbing a coffee and again… football! I know you have visited London before, but you haven’t even seen the half of it then. It’s an unbelievable place to live. There is so much to do. It is beautiful. Maybe pack some jumpers and raincoats, though...

There is about to be a lot of change at the club. Emma has left now, but Sonia Bompastor is almost here. She's a winner, too. You're going to be so excited to work with her. Sonia's record, the Chelsea way and add a little bit of spice – it is going to be a winning combination, you're sure of it.

You’re here to stay, Sam. You can’t imagine yourself anywhere else.

Now, let’s go and have some more fun!

Sam

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