Introduced as a second-half substitute in this afternoon's WSL clash against Aston Villa, Kerr was featuring for the Blues for the first time since December 2023. The following month, she sustained a serious knee injury during a winter training camp in Morocco that has ruled her out of competitive action for more than 600 days.

Kerr undertook a full pre-season with the Blues and was named in the matchday squad for our season opener against Manchester City. Yet she didn't feature from the substitutes' bench. It was a different story at Villa Park this afternoon.

With the Blues leading 2-1, Kerr was introduced with 15 minutes to play. Her landmark goal arrived in stoppage time as she reacted quickest to guide a shot into the net from close range after Aston Villa had failed to clear a Chelsea corner.

The Australian international was instantly mobbed by her Blues team-mates – and, after victory had been secured, the smile across Kerr's face told its own story.

‘It means everything,’ said Kerr. ‘To score 100 goals for any club is amazing, but to do it for a club like Chelsea is incredible. It’s something I'm really proud of and I don't take it lightly.'

It has taken Kerr just 128 games to reach a century of goals for Chelsea, and she says reaching the landmark is something she will long remember.

‘I know people may think scoring 100 goals is just another thing, but for me, it’s an amazing achievement and something I'll look back on for the rest of my life,' she explained.

‘I'm a goalscorer, that's what I love doing, and those 100 goals represent a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifices to get there.’