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Sam Kerr has signed a two-year contract extension with Chelsea, minutes after the club released a video message from the forward that suggested she would be leaving. There was plenty of speculation about the 30-year-old's future after Chelsea released a video leading fans to believe that the Australia international was leaving the club after five years. However, 20 minutes later, the club revealed it was a joke and Kerr would remain at Stamford Bridge until 2026. Kerr signed for Chelsea in 2019 and has scored 99 goals in 128 matches. In honour of the prolific striker committing her future to the club, Chelsea renamed their Stamford Bridge stadium to "Samford Bridge", and their women's stadium Kingsmeadow became "Kerrsmeadow." "It's really exciting and a very proud moment for me. Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I'm really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies," Kerr said in the updated announcement. The 2023 Ballon d'Or runner-up missed the second half of last season after suffering an ACL rupture while on a warm-weather training camp with Chelsea in Morocco. Despite the long-term injuries to Kerr and several other players, including United States striker Mia Fishel, Chelsea lifted their fifth consecutive Women's Super League (WSL) trophy in May. At the end of the 2023-24 season, Chelsea bid farewell to former manager Emma Hayes, who became the head coach of the United States women's national team. Sonia Bompastor, who led Lyon to the Champions League final, was announced as Hayes' replacement last month. Kerr is set to return to the pitch within the first few months of Bompastor's tenure at Chelsea, boosting the already stacked squad. She was recently ruled out of Australia's 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, citing that the tournament came too soon in her lengthy recovery. Kerr has won five WSL titles, three FA Cups, two Women's League cups, and the Women's Community Shield in 2020 with Chelsea. Along with Vivianne Miedema, she is the only player to have scored against every opponent she has faced in the WSL. "We are delighted that Sam has extended her deal with the club," Chelsea general manager Paul Green said. "Sam is a leader and one of the world's best strikers and goalscorers. She has been very important to our success, and we look forward to welcoming her back from injury next season.'
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