By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) – Sam Kerr’s return to Gotham FC marks a full-circle moment for the Australia great, one of the finest strikers of her generation, as she arrives back in North America after winning England’s Women’s Super League title five times.
The 32-year-old twice NWSL MVP holds the record as the American league’s top scorer despite spending the last 6-1/2 years with Chelsea, where she helped propel the London club to extraordinary heights with 11 major trophies.
“When I was here previously, I was just like a young kid. I was striving to be the best,” said Kerr, who played with the team from 2015 through 2017, back when they were known as Sky Blue FC.
“I come back with a lot of experience and a lot of trophies under my belt,” she told a press conference on Thursday.
Kerr’s return is cause for celebration in the NWSL, with increasing competition to retain top talent from international leagues, including the WSL.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or runner-up cited the high level at Gotham, who won the league championship in 2023 and 2025, among her reasons for moving back as a free agent, saying the club was the closest level of competitiveness to Chelsea.
“The NWSL is more open, it’s more counter-attacking, it’s more, I guess, physically demanding,” said Kerr, who also previously played for Chicago.
“Most games that we played for Chelsea, we would go in expecting to win. I think in the NWSL, it’s a much more even playing field, which is quite different and something I loved about the league when I was here.”
Kerr, whose young son Jagger climbed onto her lap during the press conference, also has personal reasons to come to the United States.
Her partner, midfielder Kristie Mewis, is from the U.S. and Kerr’s contract through 2030 offers a level of stability she was not able to enjoy early in her career.
“Last time I played in the NWSL, I was moving around every two years and I didn’t want to do that this time,” said Kerr.
“I wanted to commit to somewhere and put roots down somewhere and allow myself to get comfortable in the league, get comfortable with the team that I’m in.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)
