Chelsea’s Sam Kerr: ‘I’m a risk taker. I love that feeling of being on the edge’

Sam Kerr loves the biggest stages. Few players thrive in the most intense spotlights but the Australian seems to feed off the pressure. “I’m a bit of a risk taker,” says Kerr, who showboats on the pitch but is incredibly down-to-earth off it. “I love that feeling of being on the edge and that’s what those big moments are for.”

Last summer Kerr chested down a long ball and slotted past Ellie Roebuck with two minutes remaining to force extra time in Australia’s quarter-final against Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics. Australia won 4-3, Kerr scoring their second and fourth goals. In December the 28-year-old scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-0 demolition of Arsenal at Wembley to lift the Covid-postponed 2021 FA Cup.

“That was one of the best experiences of my life, honestly,” she says. “Just the whole London derby thing was awesome to do at Wembley and having fans and friends and family back in the stadium after Covid times was really special.”

On 21 January Kerr scored five times in Australia’s 18-0 rout of Indonesia in their opening Asian Cup game, overtaking Tim Cahill as the country’s record goalscorer.

The day after her return from the tournament in India, which she says “elevated her confidence”, the forward came off the bench as a depleted Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-1 in the League Cup semi-finals. Then, after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal that ensured Chelsea would win the league if they did not drop a point, Kerr’s form was unsurpassed. She scored 11 goals across eight of the nine remaining league games, including a 90th-minute winner against Aston Villa and a nerve-easing swift opener against Everton three days later.

Then she put 10-player Chelsea ahead against Tottenham as they came from behind to win 3-1. “We went down