Sam Kerr returns to the United States after Chelsea exit

Matilda’s captain, Sam Kerr, has signed for US National Women’s Soccer League club, Gotham FC, following her exit from London club Chelsea.

Gotham FC, based in New York, was formerly known as Sky Blue FC, where Kerr set numerous scoring records in three seasons between 2015 and 2017.

“I’m incredibly excited to return to Gotham FC and to this city,” said Kerr.

“This club was an important part of my journey, and to come back at this moment, with everything Gotham has built, is really special.

“The ambition here is clear, and I’m looking forward to helping this team compete for trophies and create more history.”

Kerr, who has signed a deal through to the end of the 2030 season, is still the NWSL’s all-time top scorer, despite leaving the league in 2020.

“Sam is one of the defining players of her generation and a game-changing talent who has consistently delivered at the highest levels of world football,” said Gotham FC’s president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West.

“Bringing Sam back to Gotham is a landmark moment for our club, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

The striker can’t make her debut for Gotham FC until the transfer window opens on July 14, with the club facing Washington Spirit the next day.

In 2018, while playing for Chicago Fire against Sky Blue, Kerr hinted at issues at her former club, saying “the girls deserve better” in a post game interview with The Equalizer.

Kerr, 32, left Chelsea after more than six years, in which she scored 116 goals to finish as the club’s joint all-time record scorer.

She won five WSL titles, three FA Cups, and three League Cups.

She won numerous individual accolades in England, and finished second in the Ballon D’or for the world’s best player in 2023 after finishing third in the previous two seasons.

Her time in Europe was punctuated by a serious knee injury, which kept her out of the game from January 2024 until late 2025.