Sam Kerr is back, and scoring goals again. Her previous 20 months had it all

For the first time since December 2023, Sam Kerr is doing what she does best – playing football. Kerr ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament a month later but made her long-awaited return in Chelsea’s Women’s Super League game against Aston Villa on Sunday (Monday morning, AEST).

The Matildas captain came off the bench in the 75th minute as Chelsea won 3-1 and was quick to make an impression, scoring a goal in the third minute of added time. Significantly, it was her 100th goal for the club, making her the fastest Chelsea player, male or female, to reach the milestone by doing so in 129 games.

Much has happened off the pitch for Kerr since her last match for Chelsea, against Swedish side Hacken on December 20, 2023. Here is a look at Kerr’s 20-month comeback journey.

ACL injury – January 2024

Kerr ruptured her ACL during a Chelsea warm-weather training camp in Morocco. It was a hammer blow for both Kerr and the club.

Kerr had represented Australia in their home World Cup in the summer of 2023, but her game time had been limited because of a calf injury on the eve of the tournament. She had been lucky with injuries for much of her career, but suffered two in six months.

Chelsea acted quickly to sign Mayra Ramírez for a then-record fee to strengthen their forward line while Kerr prepared for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Harassment charge – March 2024

On January 21, 2024, Kerr was charged with racially aggravated harassment of a police officer. The charge did not become public until March, when Kerr entered a not guilty plea at Kingston Crown Court.

Kerr was accused of using insulting, threatening, or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to PC Stephen Lovell following an incident in Twickenham on January 30, 2023. It took a year for Kerr to be charged, and she would have to wait another 12 months to stand trial.

The trial – February 2025

Kerr was still sidelined by injury when her trial started in February this year. Kerr admitted she had called PC Lovell “f------ stupid and white” after a drunken row with a taxi driver, words that were caught on the PC’s body-worn camera.

But she denied:

• That she was using the police officer’s race as an insult
• That she had intended to cause him harassment, alarm, or distress
• That she showed the police officer her bank balance to show off
• That she threw up in a taxi and refused to pay for the fare

Kerr had been with her partner, fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, on the night of the incident, with the pair hailing a black cab after attending a friend’s birthday in central London.

They both told the court that the driver had begun driving erratically after Kerr had been sick out of the window. They also said that he would not stop or let them get out, which had compelled Mewis to smash one of the windows in fear that they were being kidnapped.

Kerr was not on trial for what allegedly happened in the taxi but for what she said to Lovell. The police officer’s initial witness statement made no mention of the words “stupid” and “white” having had an effect on him. It was only after he provided a second witness statement, 10 months after the first, that the CPS authorised police to charge Kerr. During the trial, he denied changing his statement to get a criminal charge over the line.

As the trial progressed, it turned into a debate over power and privilege. Kerr’s main defence was that she did not use the word “white” as an insult but was instead demonstrating what she perceived to be Lovell’s privilege. Kerr believed the police were treating her differently to Mewis because of the colour of her skin.

Kerr was ultimately found not guilty after the jury deliberated for four hours and 17 minutes. She later said in a statement: “Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me.

“While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone, and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed.

“I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family.”

Motherhood – May 2025

Kerr had hoped to return to fitness shortly after her trial and had been included in Chelsea’s Champions League squad. But the forward picked up a hamstring injury in training, which slowed her recovery. She was unable to make her return before the end of the season, but there was some welcome news around the corner.

Mewis was six months pregnant during Kerr’s trial. The couple had announced in November 2024 that they were expecting their first child, with their post on social media subjected to homophobic comments, which were condemned by Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor and captain Millie Bright.

Mewis gave birth in May, and the caption on Kerr’s social media page read: “Our little man is here, Jagger Mewis-Kerr.”

Return complete – September 2025

There was excitement among Chelsea fans when Kerr was pictured boarding the club’s flight to their pre-season camp in the Netherlands in August. She played some competitive minutes in pre-season fixtures, which took place behind closed doors.

Chelsea were keen to keep Kerr out of the spotlight for those games, opting not to include her in the squad for their final pre-season match against AC Milan.

She did not come off the bench for Chelsea’s opening game of the season at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City, but did make it on against Villa, scoring a scrappy goal late on – 634 days since her last appearance for the club.

Sky Sports pundit Gilly Flaherty, the former Chelsea defender, said: “That first goal will have been so important for her. It’s scrappy but she won’t care about that. She’ll care that she’s put the ball in the back of the net and got her team that win.

“When a player does come back from injury and they go games without scoring and it goes on and on, there’s that pressure. It will be a huge weight taken off her shoulders.”

There is a desire not to place too much pressure on Kerr, given how long she has spent on the sidelines. But if Kerr can get anywhere close to the levels she demonstrated before her injury, the rest of the WSL should be worried.

The London Telegraph

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