Sam Kerr shares a heartwarming throwback photo for her 31st birthday – but can you tell which Matildas teammate she is with?
- Sam Kerr celebrated her birthday on Tuesday
- Matildas teammates created collages on social media
- Kerr, 31, is still recovering from an ACL injury
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr celebrated her 31st birthday on Tuesday – and received a flurry of well-wishes from a number of high-profile team-mates.
The striker is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained during a training camp with Chelsea in Morocco in January.
The setback saw Kerr miss the remainder of the Women’s Super League season with the Blues, as well as the Paris Olympics, where the goalscorer was sorely missed by Australian fans.
Tony Gustavsson’s squad failed to progress beyond the group stage and the Swede saw his four-year spell as Matildas head coach end in disappointing circumstances.
Kerr also recently indicated that she will not be rushing back to the field amid rumours that she could be playing again in October.
“The injury is good,” she said Optus Sport.
I will not name a date for my return, [I am] I just want to make sure I do it right and feel good before I come back.
“I mean, it’s my second ACL injury, so I know you have to take your time and make sure you do it right. I’m doing everything I can.
Sam Kerr and Emily van Egmond have gone from teenage W-League rivals to key figures for the Matildas
Vice-captain and left-back Steph Catley also sent Kerr birthday wishes via social media
It was a similar story for Caitlin Foord, who played alongside Kerr as a striker for the Matildas for many years.
Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and Kerr have enjoyed great success with the Matildas in recent years
The Chelsea striker tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a training camp in Morocco in early January – and denied rumours she would be back on the pitch for the Blues in October
“But I’m certainly not in a hurry. I want to make sure I can play for many years to come.”
When her birthday arrived, Kerr would no doubt have been pleased to see a number of Matildas team-mates reaching out to her on social media.
One of them was midfielder Emily van Egmond, who shared a photo of the duo as teenagers after a W-League match.
Van Egmond played for the Newcastle Jets at the time, while Kerr played for Perth Glory.
Fellow striker Caitlin Foord, left-back Steph Catley and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold have all shared montages with Kerr in recent years.
Outside of football, Kerr has been accused of racially intimidating a police officer during a night out in London in January 2023.
The Mail exclusively revealed that the 31-year-old was charged and pleaded not guilty on March 4 this year. The trial will last four days and will take place in February next year.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the incident, which occurred on January 30, 2023, was sparked by a dispute over a taxi ride, after which Kerr allegedly used abusive, threatening or insulting words which caused the officer distress and stress.