The 30-year-old joined the Blues midway through the 2019/20 season and has played a starring role, with five Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups, two Continental Tyres League Cups and one Community Shield, while also reaching the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

In November 2021, the Australian penned a new deal with Chelsea when she signed a contract extension until the summer of 2024. Despite seeing her 2023/24 campaign cruelly cut short through injury, Kerr has further committed her future to the Blues as she continues on the road to recovery.

On putting pen to paper on a new deal, Kerr commented: ‘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.’

General manager Paul Green added: ‘We are delighted that Sam has extended her deal with the club. Sam is a leader and one of the world’s best strikers and goalscorers. She has been very important to our success, and we look forward to welcoming her back from injury next season.’

During the 2022/23 season, Kerr netted 29 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions on the way to another WSL and FA Cup double. She made her 100th Blues appearance in our FA Cup fifth round victory over Arsenal in February and netted the winner in the FA Cup final at Wembley in May 2023.

Individual accolades would follow and Kerr received the club’s Player and Players’ Player of the Season awards, winning the former for the second year running. She also won the FA WSL Player of the Year trophy at the London Football Awards for the second consecutive year.

If that wasn’t enough, she became the first player to be awarded the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year prize twice in a row, while also earning a well-deserved place in the Professional Footballers’ Association WSL Team of the Year.

In the early stages of last season, Kerr finished second in the running for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, having been nominated each year since the inception of the award in 2018.

She was also nominated for the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year prize, where she came third in the final standings, and is just one goal shy of 100 in Chelsea blue.

On the international stage, Australia joined with New Zealand in hosting the 2023 World Cup. Kerr missed the group stage through injury, but returned for their last-16 match against Denmark and scored a wonderful solo goal in their semi-final defeat to England – a strike that was nominated for the FIFA Puskas award.

Everyone at Chelsea would like to congratulate Sam on her new contract, and we look forward to seeing her return to action.

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