Training sessions at Cobham. Travelling to matches with her Blues team-mates. Scoring goals. Celebrating with supporters. All and so much more have been cruelly absent as Kerr put in the work day after day to return from a serious knee injury sustained in January 2024.

That journey isn’t quite at its endpoint. Kerr has undertaken pre-season with Chelsea, but is still working towards a return to competitive action.

• Secure your place at our WSL opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on 5 September now!

Yet the Australian is back with the Blues squad and life is almost - that goalscoring feeling is still needed - back to normal. And in her first interview since returning to training, Kerr highlights what she has appreciated on her return

‘During an injury, you’re alone a lot,’ Kerr says, during our camp in the Netherlands. ‘So it's good to be back with the girls, just doing the same training sessions as them rather than solitary rehab sessions. Being in camp like this helps you get to know all the new faces.

‘It's nice to be back with the girls, back on the pitch, and yeah, I'm excited. I’m most looking forward to being out there, scoring goals and having fun. Getting back to normal and being with the team is great, too.

'It's nice to get away with the girls and spend more time together. For me, I’ve loved getting some nice weather. I know it's been nice in London, but I just love the sun, so I want to train in the sun and the heat, and to spend time with the new staff and the new players.’

There has been a change in the dugout since Kerr has been unable to play, as Sonia Bompastor replaced Emma Hayes at the beginning of last season.

Situations can change during an injury lay-off, but the striker hasn’t struggled to adjust to the change of regime.

‘It's been good,’ she continued. ‘Sonia’s very demanding as a manager. I've only been back in training for a couple of weeks with her, but I enjoy working under her and Cami [assistant coach Camille Abily], they’re great.

‘It’s a big change for me, but they had a lot of success last year, so I'm looking forward to playing under them.

‘Every coach I've worked under has been outwardly ambitious. But when you play at a club like Chelsea, people genuinely believe you can do it. So that's the difference. We’re still going for that Champions League win, but domestically, we can back up those statements.

‘But I'll let Sonia do the talking. My focus is on trying to better the team and better myself, that's for sure.’

Kerr’s return to training has coincided with the signing of Australia team-mate Ellie Carpenter.

Chelsea have also brought in two younger players during the summer transfer window in Mara Alber and Livia Peng, and Kerr has been around to help them settle and understand what it means to play for the club.

‘It's good to have a familiar face,’ the striker continued. ‘I've felt at home at Chelsea regardless of whether there was another Aussie here or not, but it's nice to have someone to chat to about things from home that maybe the other girls would have no idea about. She's a great player and a great athlete.

‘Chelsea's about winning, so I think everything we do here is about winning - from the standards at the training ground to what we do on the pitch. When you come to a club like Chelsea, sometimes that can be a culture shock.

‘With new players, it's just about guiding them, but honestly, when I came here, I enjoyed it straight away because people just made me feel welcome and comfortable. With my personality and who I am as a leader, my role is to make the girls feel the same way and make sure they're enjoying themselves.

‘People can perform at their very best when they're happy, comfortable and feel a part of the team.’

Our first match of the new season sees us take on Women’s Super League rivals Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Friday 5 September.

For Kerr, the Bridge is a ground that has become intimidating for opposition sides, and she shared a favourite memory from her previous games in SW6.

‘Stamford Bridge feels like home,’ she smiles. ‘Kingsmeadow means a lot too, but I think if we want to keep pushing the boundaries, we've got to keep playing in the biggest venues.

‘Over the last couple of years, Stamford Bridge has been a fortress, so we need to keep playing there as much as possible, so it's great we have an extra game there this season because the fans are just amazing.

‘My favourite memory there was when I scored a hat-trick in the Champions League against Paris FC. It’s a beautiful stadium with lots of history, and it’s great to be part of that.’

It’s been a long road back to fitness for our star striker, but after that arduous journey, she’s raring to get back on the pitch.

There’s absolutely no doubt about what she hopes to contribute once she gets there.

‘My contribution is goals; it’s as simple as that,’ she stated. ‘For the last, however many years, I've been within the top goalscorers, if not the top goalscorer in the team, and that's where I want to come back to, I've got high expectations of myself.

‘I have a lot of confidence in my ability, so the contribution for me is straightforward. It’s goals. That's what I'm here to do, and that's what I normally do, so there's no reason why I can't do it again.’

Chelsea fans know that scoring goals is just what Sam Kerr does.

See Chelsea in action at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City in the first Women's Super League game of the season on Friday 5 September at 7.30pm! Secure your tickets for that fixture here.