Australia national team head coach Tony Gustavsson says that he feels privileged to have had the opportunity to play a small part in the career of Chelsea forward Sam Kerr.
The 28-year-old will receive her 100th senior international cap for The Commonwealth Bank Matildas this evening when they face the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly match at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.
When speaking about Kerr in the pre-match press conference, Australia boss Gustavsson said that he feels privileged to have worked with the forward whilst commenting that the biggest tribute to her would be for the team to play well against the Republic of Ireland.
“I could stand here for hours and talk about Sam Kerr to be honest,” said Gustavsson. “It’s such a privilege to be a small part of her phenomenal career.
“She’s not just a phenomenal and world class footballer, she’s a phenomenal and world class person as well. Her influence to this team on and off the pitch can’t be described in words. I will try to put it into words when I thank her in-front of the team this week but it is going to be difficult. I think the players and the people that have been around her longer than I have can do that better.
“What I did say after training is that it is her 100th game and that is a game that she will remember for the rest of her life and we as a team need to give her the best memory possible, we want to play our best for our captain.”
Gustavsson went on to add that while Kerr is a special player, what makes her stand out is her high performance levels which she has shown game after game.
He added “When you look at Sam’s career, I think she has been good for a long time but what she has shown in the last couple of years is that she is playing on a world-class level on a consistent basis. It is not a one-off, she is doing it game after game for club and for country.
“She has also shown a lot of mental toughness. She was criticised a lot when she first moved to Chelsea but she just took that and went on to prove how good she is. She has also carried the Australian team at the Olympics under pressure, whether that be scoring from a goal down or leading the team in the locker room.
“She is in a really good place in her career and I can’t wait to continue working with her and experience a World Cup on home soil with her.”
Australia’s international friendly against the Republic of Ireland kicks-off at 7pm.
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