Sky Blue FC forward Sam Kerr earned another distinctive honor on Wednesday, as the Australian striker was named the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Player of the Year 2017 at the AFC Annual Awards in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Firstly, I’d just like to say congratulations to the two other nominees on a great year. Secondly, thanks to AFC for this wonderful night,” Kerr said after receiving the award. “It’s been a bit of a crazy year, but I just want to say thank you to every one of my support staff that helped me throughout this year; they know who they are. And most importantly to my teammates because without them none of this would have been possible, so thank you.”
Kerr, 24, had one of the most decorated seasons in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history this past year for Sky Blue FC, leading her to 2017 NWSL Most Valuable Player honors. She became the league’s career goal leader (43), and the 2017 NWSL Golden Boot winner broke the single-season record by scoring 17 goals. The Perth native, who was named to the NWSL Best XI, also became the first player in league history to record two hat tricks in a season and four goals in a single match.
Currently competing with Perth Glory in the Australia W-League, Kerr was awarded the Julie Dolan Medal following the 2016-17 campaign in her native country, which is presented to the W-League Most Valuable Player. That season, she paced the Perth offense with 10 goals, which was the second-best mark in the league. In three appearances for Glory during the 2017-18 campaign, she has already scored four goals.
On the international front, Kerr has registered 11 goals in her last six matches for the Matildas, becoming the first Australian player to score in six consecutive games. Additionally, she was recognized by her peers as the 2017 Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) Female Footballer of the Year at a ceremony in Newcastle this past September.
Watch Sam Kerr receive the AFC Women’s Player of the Year Award.
2018 Sky Blue FC season and half-season tickets are on sale now, and fans can purchase them today by calling 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849). For all of the latest news on Sky Blue FC, visit the team online and follow us on social media: @SkyBlueFC
