Key Points
- Sam Kerr has scored 26 goals in 34 club appearances this season for her club Chelsea.
- She will captain Australia at the Women's Football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, starting in July.
- Ms Kerr has helped Chelsea win seven major trophies in her three-and-a-half years with the club.
Australia and Chelsea scoring sensation Sam Kerr has won the prestigious Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award in England for a second successive season.
Ms Kerr, 29, has scored 26 goals in 34 club appearances this season as her club side Chelsea, currently second in the Women's Super League table, reached the FA Cup final and also the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Aston Villa's Rachel Daly and Kerr's Chelsea teammate Lauren James completed the top three.
Another prolific goal-grabber, Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, won the men's vote.
Ms Kerr and Mr Haaland will receive their awards at the FWA Footballer of the Year 75th anniversary dinner in London on May 25.
Sam Kerr says she loves the pressure of the big occasion and having the opportunity "to do something great" as Chelsea's Australian striker prepares for the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
Among the numerous important goals Kerr has scored for the Blues since joining in 2019/20 are a pair in each of the last two finals.
Emma Hayes' side overcame Arsenal 3-0 in 2021 and then last season beat Manchester City 3-2 after extra-time.
The prolific Ms Kerr also netted twice in stunning fashion on the final day of the 2021-22 Women's Super League season as Chelsea came from behind to beat United 4-2 and claim the title for a third successive year.
"I play this game to score goals and I love the pressure, I love the big games," Ms Kerr said ahead of Sunday's women's FA Cup final, the first to sell out London's Wembley Stadium.
"I love being able to have a moment in the palm of your hands and be able to do something great. So I get excited about these games.
"People are still talking about that Man United last game of the season, and for me that was so exciting.
"It's exciting when there's another moment like that on the horizon."
The striker scored in Chelsea's two Women's Super League (WSL) wins over United this term, including the only goal in March's encounter at Kingsmeadow.
"You can't think about losing ever - that's number one sin of a footballer," Ms Kerr said.
"If you think about that, that's going to happen. I only think about the good things.
"I visualise scoring a goal, the celebration, seeing my family after the game, all the things that make me play football."
Ms Kerr has helped Chelsea win seven major trophies in her three-and-a-half years with the club.
And she has emphasised she feels like she still has "a lot more to give and a lot I want to achieve".
"For me it's about still getting better," she said.
"You can't look into the future, but I see myself going bigger and better than what I am now, and hopefully continue winning trophies with this team."
After the conclusion to a season in which Chelsea could secure another double - they are currently second in the WSL, a point behind Marc Skinner's United with a game in hand - Ms Kerr is set for some summer, skippering her country as they co-host with New Zealand the 2023 Women's World Cup.
"It's a bit crazy to think about it all to be honest," she said.
"(I'll reflect) after this whole summer, after it's all said and done, but it's been an amazing journey to get here.
"It's not just about 2023. Last year was amazing and then this year is going to probably be the biggest year of my career and my life and something I'll remember forever.
"It's a whirlwind, but I'm enjoying it and I'm really proud to be a part of all of this change in women's football."
