One on One | Kerr on why 'there’s more to life than football!' 

0:02I think I found that there's so much more to life than just football. Nothing now I do in football or nothing I do in life will be as important as being a parent and it's so much fun. It's not an easy place to be when you're at the top and everyone's trying to catch you, break you down. I still love football and I'm still going to run myself into the ground when I'm back, don't worry about that. But I think it's just given me a new take on it, a new way to look at it. You're still a winner, though. Oh, definitely. Hello, I'm Juliet Perrington. And I'm Jo Tomlinson. And welcome back to One on One from Sky Sports, where one of us sits down for a conversation with a big name from the football world.

0:45And to be honest, it could be anyone, couldn't it, Jo? Yeah, and Jules, congratulations on last week's episode with the brilliant Olivia Smith, the story of the first million pound player in women's football. Oh, Jo, it was so much fun to put together. Her dad, Sean, he was at the game at the weekend to see his daughter score an absolute screamer. He sent me a few WhatsApps as well and just getting that chance to connect with him and the likes of Casey Stoney, who, of course, is ex-Arsenal and England and now Olivia's national team coach. You've got Matt Beard. He gave me some of his time a few weeks ago to talk about her.

1:16And it was her dad who called it our crazy. So he called his and Liv's crazy our crazy because he said her crazy matched his crazy. So when he said that in the interview that we had, we nicked that as part of the title as well. So Olivia Smith, our crazy. And by the looks of it, it's going to be a crazy season that she's going to have at the Emirates as well. Yeah, absolutely. If you haven't already listened to it, please do go and check it out. It's a brilliant listen. Olivia Smith, our crazy, available on the one-on-one podcast feed. And Jules, we're not stopping there. We're dipping our toe fully into the WSL again.

1:52Start of the season, Joe. Another huge name in women's football because last week I had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Chelsea's Australian striker, Sam Kerr. I've never spoken to her before. The only time I've really seen her at the naked eye was in the semifinal in the Women's World Cup in 2023 against England. But she's on her way back from a serious knee injury, the ACL tear that kept her out for all of last season. And as you'll hear when we chatted at Chelsea's Surrey training ground in Cobham, got to say, the house where we did this interview, it's like it's called the cottage in the training ground.

2:27I know you've been to Chelsea. I don't know whether you've had any interviews or even walked through the massive door just to get into that house. It's a phenomenal building. So you'll see that on the Sky Sports YouTube channel. But she's come through it, as I say, and she's really honest about how different she is now compared to how she was before her injury, not least because she's now a parent. She's got a little boy called Jagger and you'll hear her say how she has absolutely no idea about doing this parent thing, but she's had a lot of fun so far in the process. She was relaxed. She was in confident mood.

3:02We sat down ahead of Chelsea's season opener against Manchester City, still one of the most exciting names in world football. So here's Sam Kerr.

3:15Oh, what's Sam Kerr gone and done? What have you done, Sam Kerr? You have just won the title for Chelsea. That is absolutely extraordinary. It was audacious. It was ambitious. It was so Sam Kerr. Sam, thanks for joining us. So good to see you back. It's been quite a while. You've spoken in the past about how one of your biggest barriers have been your injuries. So when you look back at last season and what you went through, how much of a barrier was that for you? Yeah, I think it was just tough. I mean, of course, being out for the whole season was really tough. All I want to do is play football, find so much joy in playing football.

4:01So it was just really tough being away from doing what I love. This is my passion. This is everything I've worked for. So, of course, it was difficult to miss the whole season. Some breaking news now. Massive blow for defending WSL champions and current league leaders Chelsea. Sam Kerr has sustained an ACL anterior cruciate ligament injury during Chelsea's warm weather training camp in Morocco. That disconnection as well from supporters, from your teammates, when you're having to put yourself through rehab, how much did that impact on you? What kind of place is that? Yeah, I think it sucks, to be honest.

4:35it's you know not being able to one be in training with your teammates have fun with your teammates play games score goals have that interaction with fans it is tough but I think when you're in it you kind of forget about all of that you're trying to focus on day by day or I was anyway and yeah it was tough but honestly it was a good learning experience in what way I mean there was many learning experiences I think I found that you know there's so much more to life than just football and I feel like I kind of learned so much about myself obviously you know I feel like I always give people so much of my time and give people so much of my good spirit and all of this but I realized that sometimes I need to put myself first and last year maybe in times I didn't and I think it was just a good learning curve for myself.

5:23Some breaking news to bring you Chelsea striker Sam Kerr and West Ham midfielder Christy Mewis are expecting a baby. Australia Captain Care announced the news that her partner was pregnant on her Instagram account in a post which read, Muis Care baby coming 2025. I'm going to ask you about becoming a parent later, but also you'd been carrying injuries and you'd been injured for quite a period of time. So in a way, not saying it was meant to happen, but because it was such a serious injury, did it come at the right time for your body to heal completely? I don't know about that. I think, like, reflecting on it, I said that the four years before that with Chelsea I had played, you know, 24 hours off a plane from Australia.

6:07I'd played through small injuries. I remember the FA Cup against Man United the year before I got injured. I played with my legs strapped to the ground pretty much. So I'd run through a brick wall for my club and my country. I played at the World Cup injured. Scored a great goal, by the way. So I think, like, I wouldn't say it came at the right time, but I think, I guess a positive light that I looked back on it is what I'd achieved and what I'd done in the last four years for club and country, I'd ran myself into the ground. And my partner actually asked me, would I change it? Would I give up those four years?

6:42And I said no. So I think it just was, like I said, a learning curve. I was really grateful for what I'd done in the years before. And ACL never comes at the right time. But I think for me it was, I found comfort in the fact that I'd done so much running myself into the ground till I got this injury that I was kind of at peace with it, I guess. But also at peace because your life has changed so much in that time that you've been sidelined, but in a really good way. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, we've obviously got Jags and it's been the most amazing experience of my life and learning curve again.

7:19yeah learnt so much about how amazing a female body is learnt so much about being a parent and I guess just like learnt for me how nothing now I do in football or nothing I do in life will be as important as being you know a parent and it's so much fun like I hear so many negative things about it but you know I've had the most fun I've ever had in the last four months trying to be a parent and co-parent with Christy we know absolutely nothing but it's so fun to learn and just see this other side of life that my parents had told me about for so long that now I'm getting to experience. Can we call him Jags?

7:54Yeah, Jags. So that moment when Jags came into the world, what were your actual feelings, emotion, just that moment? Yeah, I mean, I want to give like the lovely story, but I was honestly, I hadn't, I was so worried about Christy that I just like had this, I was caring about her and she was, she was yelling at me to go stand with him, but I was standing with her so so you left Jags yeah I was just like worried about her um but no it was obviously amazing the day after the baby bubble is a real thing like we just you know stayed in the baby bubble for two days and it was amazing we're still in the baby bubble um but yeah it's a really crazy experience like what's the best part I think the best part is just like I've got such a like I've got an amazing son obviously amazing family but I think it's grown me and Christy closer because we have this bigger purpose now and I love football it's given me so much but now it's like I have this other thing in life that has the same feeling as football and we get it every morning like every morning at six o 'clock when I wake up and see him and he's just smiling it's just it's just the best feeling you can't explain it I mean yeah it's just so fun and And yeah, I can't wait to share my football experiences with him.

9:14Does it change your feeling towards football? Has it changed your feeling towards football? Bearing in mind what you said earlier about putting your body through what you've done. I think I can separate the two quite well. It doesn't change my feeling to football, but I think it levels me out. I think he came at the perfect time. I was obviously not playing and it kind of made me realise football is just a game. and I am just going to enjoy it and play for fun because there is bigger things in life and I still love football and I'm still going to run myself into the ground when I'm back, don't worry about that.

9:46But I think it's just given me a new take on it, a new way to look at it. You're still a winner though. Oh, definitely. And I ain't going to let him beat me, so nothing's going to change in that way. But you've also spoken in the past about how it's easy to get to the top but it's staying at the top and maintaining that level and taking it to another level to keep being successful and that's what you're going to have to do again this season yeah I mean I think that's the hardest part like you said I've said that before but I think staying at the top is the hardest whether it's individually as a team but yeah I think that's the challenge that's the good part everyone would rather be at the top than the bottom right so it's a privileged position to be be in but yeah it doesn't make it any easier it makes it more stressful and um you know obviously we don't get a lot of sympathy from people with the squad depth we have all of those things but success the success but it's not an easy place to be and when you're at the top and everyone's trying to you know catch you break you down it it's a stressful it's a stressful environment to continuously try and compete for trophies how do you manage that stress then well I haven't dealt with that for a year so i don't know welcome back through to kurt who finds the gap and finds the goal the champion strike you cannot give that player any sort of time or space and that is why she's world class that's chelsea sam kerr on her return from injury and becoming a parent we're going to take a quick break but when we come back the striker opens up about the pressures of life at the top of the WSL and makes a surprising admission.

11:31I think that's a misconception about me is that I'm very like out there and loud and whatever but I'm also quite a shy person. I never want to be overconfident, it's like my worst fear in life to overdo it so I guess for me it's just trying to stay level-headed and enjoy it.

11:53you walked in to the commentary box giving it the biggest name drop of all time Ishigua texts me saying Chris Martin wants your number and I was like what the former New Zealand fast bowler but she went no Chris Martin from Coldplay wants your number I thought this was a wind-up and I get a text from Chris Martin saying I love the pod I'd love to meet you and Af and I still think it's a wind-up so thank you Chris for following us and listening to our nonsense I'm Mike Atherton I'm Nasser Hussain follow Sky Sports Cricket or get your podcast the usual way however you get them we will be there

12:40welcome back to one-on-one with Jules's chat with Sam Kerr the striker who's made her way back from a serious knee injury to return to Chelsea's squad for the start of this WSL season and Jules despite all of her talent and it is ridiculous levels of talent Kerr made quite a surprising admission yeah when you watch her on the pitch as I was talking about earlier in the pod about 2023 World Cup semifinal against England, all that confidence. It looks like nothing can stop her. We've all seen that spectacular backflip celebration when she scores. But as you'll hear deep down, it's not all what it seems.

13:15And to be honest, it's like most of us. You're quite a nervous person, aren't you? I've learnt this about you and the fact that you've also said that how you're nervous about being in that starting XI, being in that team, you don't take that for granted. Yeah, I think that's a misconception about me is that I'm very like out there and loud and whatever, but I'm also quite a shy person. People don't believe that when they hear that about me because like on the pitch I've got this like extroverted personality. But I think that is kind of instilled in me from a young age being Australian. I think we always have this underdog mentality that we never take anything for granted.

13:54And, you know, I still say things and people are like, are you crazy? Like you don't have that much confidence in yourself. But it's not about that. It's just about always, like you said, I don't want to take for granted anything. And I don't want to over, I never want to be overconfident. and it's like my worst fear in life to overdo it. So I guess for me it's just trying to stay level-headed and enjoy it. But, yeah, I don't know. But do you not feel that we're all like that? Oh, definitely. We're all trying to remain calm and confident and be in control, but actually you know what's at stake because it's your job, it's my job, it's everyone's job here to produce and perform and to get the right result.

14:40Yeah, definitely. and I think we just all deal with it differently. I mean, I live with someone that deals with it poorly and I feel like I deal with it well. And you've just got to go with it. We're just all different humans. And I think another thing, like being out for a year, is everyone's human. You just have to treat everyone with the same type of human aspect. And I think in football, maybe your job too, you can lose that human aspect. So I think it's been... Yeah, I mean, that's life, isn't it? It's never easy for anyone. on. So who inspires you within the squad, within this team, this group of players that you have, who's your biggest, would you say, who has been your biggest inspiration?

15:21Oh, I mean, inspired maybe isn't the word. I feel like I see these girls as like my family, so it's a little bit different. But I think, you know, I've had my like, obviously really close friends that have supported me and inspired me to get back. But I think, you know, someone like Niamh Childs for me has always been a really good buddy of mine. I really resonate with her values in life, her down-to-earth mentality and just her supportiveness. Obviously, Millie, Erin and Guru just always pushing the limits with me. I feel like I've been through thick and thin with them the last few years. But there's so many.

15:56But I think, yeah, those five probably stand out the most. Unstoppable, unbeatable, invincible. Chelsea WSL champions for the sixth successive season and the latest without losing a game. They are the benchmark in English football. They are the standouts for 10 years now. How would you assess Chelsea going into the new season? Because everybody is going to be hunting you down and you know that. yeah I mean I don't think even though I've missed a year I don't think that's any different from the year before so I think we're used to it I think we kind of thrive off that a little bit and I guess last year the girls had it kind of from the start they were were leading but in previous years it hadn't been that so I think last year was a little bit different for the girls but I mean this league is so tough you know there's so many great teams you saw Arsenal done with the Champions League it's a tough league so you have to take everyone, you have to start fresh and like of course yeah treble winners whatever but I think we all just want to start fresh, we all want to go for it and be like we're going for everything this year and of course we're really proud of the past but this is a new season, this is a new us, this is new players, new team so we have to act on that.

17:21I get the impression you don't look back do you? You don't look back, you only look forward. yeah I don't look back like closely I mean I look back onto things like me playing in the US but I would never look back on seasons here yet because I think that's dangerous I think that's that's a way that you can get complacent you can get um ahead of yourself so I think for us as a team it's you have to look forward you have to push on to the next thing if you settle for what we have it is a dangerous place to be and everyone's chasing us and like I said it's hard to be at the top so yeah I know you like big families and you've got your whatever your very own now you've talked about how it's changed you obviously does that change you going into this season as a player because you've always got something to go home to you like Jags to go home to I think it probably makes it better for me I mean before I'd go home and just sit there and think about that one-on-one chance that I miss whereas now I think I'll just like repeat yeah yeah actually I can't lie Christy's been absolutely smashing it she's been amazing and been the best support so not going to take any credit there but I think it makes it better for me it makes it like I'm not going to sit there and dwell and let my miss chance or something bad that's happened carry into Monday Tuesday that's why I mean it's like so nice to go home and just forget about it and have other things in life and I think being an international player here it is hard I don't have many friends here I don't have many family members here so sometimes you go home and you well on things whereas now I've kind of created time to anymore now I've created this little family that I can go home to and and refresh and reset well good luck for the season thank you nice to meet you Jules for a player who comes across as confident on the pitch as she does and she comes across like she's the boss of everybody on there I mean that was quite surprising that's a life lesson from Sam Kerr it really is it's like we see her as something that is not going to stop her.

19:16There is nothing that will get in her way. But I felt that was quite revealing, whether that was the environment we were in or the conversation we were having or how relaxed she was, or whether it's because she's recently become a parent, you know, and her thoughts have changed, even though she is deep down an absolute winner on the pitch. So it was a surprisingly open chat about coming back from injury, becoming that parent that we talked about, her life on top of football, really interesting to talk to And Casey Stoney actually, interestingly, came out with another really good life lesson when we put together our crazy, which, of course, we have talked about.

19:51You can still listen to wherever you get your podcast from. One of Casey Stoney's life lessons, make sure you've got the right people on your bus. And I absolutely love that so much. So, yes, back to Sam Kerr. She says she might have changed. But the one thing that hasn't is that she is the ultimate winner. Her desire to stay at the top. that was very evident despite her time away from the game and lengthy time as well and also despite this newfound perspective on football you heard it there straight away when I asked her still a winner definitely as we know Chelsea they've won the league for the last past six seasons they may not have it all their own way though this time around Champions League winners Arsenal they might have something to say about it when the WSL trophy ends next spring in may but Kerr is sure to be a massive part of that Chelsea squad should they go on to retain it fantastic stuff as ever Jules I'm gonna have to chip in one of these weeks and I think there is one of mine coming up shortly but that is it for this week's episode of one-on-one we'll be back next week with yet another yeah I've heard rumors Joe I've heard rumors the door is about to open with a huge name.

20:59And I say huge in terms of height. Might have given that one away. But he's from the Premier League and he's one of the stories of this summer's transfer window. Can't say any more though, can we? No pressure whatsoever. This is the big one. But if you don't want to miss it, give this show a follow wherever you listen to your podcast so it arrives in your inbox as soon as it drops. And as well as listening to it, you can watch our interviews across Sky Sports, on YouTube, on Sky Sports News and on the Sky Sport website and apps. We are all over Sky Sports, aren't we, Joe? We'll get there eventually.

21:32See you soon, Jules. We do. See you soon.

21:39The Sunday Supplement podcast is back for the new Premier League season.

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