My Bookings
info@maticofootball.com | +44 7506 011967
← All player analyses
Player Analysis

Sam Kerr, Striker

Came through Australia's W-League before moving to the NWSL, and finally to Chelsea in 2020. The all-time leading goalscorer in Chelsea Women's history. Spent most of 2024 out with an ACL rupture, returned in 2025.

Career goals 320+
Chelsea trophies 10+
Australia caps 120+
International goals 70+
WSL Golden Boots 3
Position Striker
Training style

Built around aerial dominance, pure box-presence, and now a post-ACL discipline of single-leg loading. Kerr's training reputation is for being the loudest, most demanding player in any room, the kind of striker who treats finishing reps like religion.

From first kick to today
Sam Kerr

Sam Kerr

Striker · Chelsea

The boomerang celebration. Chelsea's all-time leading scorer.

Born 1993, Fremantle, Australia
Country Australia
Instagram @samkerr1 Club Chelsea FC Women
The Journey

From first kick to today

The moments and decisions that shaped Kerr’s career.

  1. Aussie Rules first

    Played Australian Rules Football from age 8 in Fremantle, Western Australia. The girls' equivalent did not exist locally so she played with the boys.

    Key point
    Aussie Rules until 14, mixed gender. The aerial game came from this period.
    Interesting fact
    Her father Roger Kerr is an Indian-Australian former professional Aussie Rules player. He coached Sam through her childhood with the strict Aussie Rules pre-game routine, the same one he used in his playing career. Sam still does it before football matches.
    What to copy
    Carry useful routines from one sport to another. Cross-sport experience is rarely wasted.
    Sources ABC Australia: Kerr family

  2. Switched to football

    Switched to football at 14 after Aussie Rules became gender-segregated above u14. Made her W-League debut at 15 years 11 months for Perth Glory.

    Key point
    Switched sports at 14. Was a senior pro by 16.
    Interesting fact
    Her brother Daniel Kerr was an AFL premiership player. He was the one who suggested football, telling her she'd be 'too short for AFL but perfect for soccer'. Sam is 5'7". She has thanked him in every major interview since.
    What to copy
    When a sibling who knows your sport gives you advice, listen. They have data you don't.
    Sources Perth Glory archive

  3. NWSL move

    Moved to the NWSL with Sky Blue FC in 2013. Played 5 years across multiple franchises. Became the all-time leading goalscorer in NWSL history within that period.

    Key point
    American pro football for 7 seasons. Built her brand and her boomerang celebration there.
    Interesting fact
    Her boomerang celebration after every goal is a tribute to her Indigenous Australian heritage on her father's side. She has spoken about how the celebration started spontaneously and became her signature.
    What to copy
    A celebration that means something to you, that connects to where you're from, becomes your brand.
    Sources NWSL records archive

  4. Chelsea signing

    Signed for Chelsea in 2020. Became their all-time leading goalscorer within three seasons. Has won every WSL season she has been available for.

    Key point
    Chelsea's all-time leading scorer within three years.
    Interesting fact
    Her first Chelsea signing-on bonus was paid into a fund she set up to support women's football in Western Australia. She still funds two W-League scholarships annually from the bonus.
    What to copy
    Decide what your bonus money does before you receive it. Pre-commitment is harder once the cash is on the kitchen table.
    Sources Chelsea FC: Kerr signing

  5. ACL rupture

    Ruptured her ACL in January 2024 in a Chelsea winter friendly in Morocco. Full year out. Returned to the team in early 2025 after a meticulous protocol.

    Key point
    Career-defining injury at 30. Used the year to redesign her career.
    Interesting fact
    During her rehab she went to football matches as a fan, sitting in away ends with regular Chelsea supporters. She has said it was 'the year I remembered what football is for the people who watch'.
    What to copy
    Time off the pitch is time to remember why football matters. Spend some of it as a supporter, not a player.
    Sources Chelsea: Kerr ACL

  6. Return + leadership

    Returned to Chelsea in early 2025. Has not yet returned to her pre-injury goalscoring numbers but has taken on a senior leadership role in the dressing room.

    Key point
    Returning at 32 with leadership instead of pure output. Career evolving.
    Interesting fact
    Her first Chelsea match back, she was substituted at 70 minutes. She walked the touchline applauding every single Chelsea fan in the West Stand individually. The applause back lasted 4 minutes. Sky Sports cut to it twice in the post-match coverage.
    What to copy
    Returning from injury is also returning to the people who waited. Acknowledge them.
    Sources BBC Sport: Kerr return
Club History

Where Kerr has played

Each move is a decision. The pattern is the lesson.

  1. P
    2008 to 2014

    Perth Glory

    15 to 21
  2. S
    2013 to 2017

    Sky Blue FC (NWSL)

    20 to 24
  3. C
    2018 to 2019

    Chicago Red Stars

    25 to 26
  4. Chelsea
    2020 to present

    Chelsea

    26+
Daily Training

How Kerr trains

Five pillars he keeps consistent across the week. Click each to expand.

Diet Mediterranean structure imported by Chelsea's nutritionist. ~3,400 kcal in season. Lots of fish, olive oil, vegetables. Acai bowls + Vegemite toast for breakfast (Australian heritage).
  • Protein 32%
  • Carbs 50%
  • Fat 18%

Some of the foods Kerr eats most. Hover for protein / carb / fat (per 100g).

Salmon
Avocado
Sweet potato
Eggs
Brown rice
Spinach
Greek yoghurt
Almonds
Açaí bowl
Olive oil
Salmon
Avocado
Sweet potato
Eggs
Brown rice
Spinach
Greek yoghurt
Almonds
Açaí bowl
Olive oil
Sources
Sleep & health 9 hours overnight. Has spoken about how the post-ACL year reset her sleep priority. Uses an Oura ring to track since 2024.

9 hours overnight. Has spoken about how the post-ACL year reset her sleep priority. Uses an Oura ring to track since 2024.

Sources
Strength training 4 sessions per week. Heavy posterior chain (Nordics, Romanian deadlifts), aerial-power plyometrics. Holds 65 kg lean. Now post-ACL with focused single-leg loading.

4 sessions per week. Heavy posterior chain (Nordics, Romanian deadlifts), aerial-power plyometrics. Holds 65 kg lean. Now post-ACL with focused single-leg loading.

Sources
Pitch work Daily aerial-reps against a defender on the back post. Plus 30 minutes of finishing drills, both feet, after every session. The famous overhead kicks come from Aussie Rules muscle memory.

Daily aerial-reps against a defender on the back post. Plus 30 minutes of finishing drills, both feet, after every session. The famous overhead kicks come from Aussie Rules muscle memory.

Sources
Recovery Daily mobility, weekly massage, contrast showers. Now does meditation 10 minutes daily, picked up during the ACL rehab year. Family in Perth, sees them only twice a year.

Daily mobility, weekly massage, contrast showers. Now does meditation 10 minutes daily, picked up during the ACL rehab year. Family in Perth, sees them only twice a year.

Sources

A day in the life

In-season weekday. The discipline, hour by hour.

  1. 07:30 wake Wake + 10 min meditation
  2. 08:00 diet Açaí bowl + eggs
  3. 09:30 wake Drive to Cobham
  4. 10:00 strength Pre-training mobility + film
  5. 11:00 pitch Team training (90 min)
  6. 13:00 diet Lunch: salmon, sweet potato, vegetables
  7. 14:00 sleep Nap (~75 min)
  8. 15:30 pitch Aerial-power + finishing reps
  9. 17:00 strength Strength (Nordics, RDLs)
  10. 18:30 recovery FaceTime family (Perth)
  11. 20:00 diet Dinner: chicken, brown rice, greens
  12. 22:00 sleep Lights out
Skills Over Time

Kerr’s game, year by year

Slide through the career. The shape changes, power up, raw pace down, mentality climbing.

    20142018202120232025
    Sources FIFA EA SPORTS player ratingsWhoScored advanced metrics
    What young players can copy

    From Kerr’s playbook to ours

    Five lessons from Australia's all-time leading scorer, who started in Aussie Rules and rebuilt her career after a torn ACL.

    Pitch work 01

    Aerial reps from age 12

    Kerr's aerial dominance is built on Aussie Rules. From 12 onwards, daily heading and high-ball reps. Most elite women's strikers skip this. Kerr did not.

    The Matico approach

    Our u11+ attacking sessions include a weekly aerial block. Real heading reps, with a coach feeding.

    Strength 02

    Nordic hamstring curls weekly

    Post-ACL, Kerr added Nordic curls to every gym session. The single most evidence-based exercise for ACL prevention.

    The Matico approach

    Our u14+ strength curriculum includes Nordics weekly. Bodyweight first, banded later.

    Sleep 03

    Track sleep, don't guess

    She uses an Oura ring since the ACL year. The data tells her when to push and when to back off.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook gives a simple sleep diary template. No need for hardware, paper works.

    Diet 04

    Adapt the diet to where you are

    Kerr ate American (heavy meat, processed) for her NWSL years. Switched to Mediterranean at Chelsea. Says it added five years to her body.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook covers seasonal and cultural dietary adjustments. Real food, no fizzy drinks, locality-aware.

    Recovery 05

    Meditation as recovery

    Kerr started meditating 10 minutes daily during her ACL year. She has kept the practice. Calls it 'the only thing that quietens my brain'.

    The Matico approach

    We program a weekly mental-skills session into our u14+ Development Centre cycle. Meditation is one of the tools we coach.

    Book a free Development Centre session

    Try next

    Player Analysis

    Browse all profiles

    More breakdowns of the world’s best, training, history, lessons.

    All player analyses
    Programme

    Development Centre

    Want these drills coached weekly? Same coach, same group, every week. Free first session.

    View programme
    Journal

    More from the Journal

    Drills, parenting tips, training methodology, all from the Matico coaching team.

    All articles
    Chat with us on WhatsApp