Daily Mirror

Sam’s a goalden wonder.. just like Messi

CHELSEA’S STAR HAS THE SAME AMOUNT OF TOP SCORER AWARDS AS THE ARGENTINE. NOW SHE’S GOT A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE IN HER SIGHTS

- BY MATTHEW DUNN

SAM KERR says she does not have to worry about her Golden Boot collection getting all Messi – her mum keeps them all neatly in her home back in Perth.

As well as helping Chelsea clinch the Women’s Super League this season, her 21 goals made her the top goalscorer in the competitio­n.

It was the sixth campaign in a row she has achieved that honour with her clubs.

And it mirrors the achievemen­t of Lionel Messi (right), who has a collection of six European Golden Boots

–the biggest number in men’s football.

The Barcelona legend had recourse to the club’s museum to store his sixth award, but Kerr’s solution is less grandiose.

“My mum keeps them all,” she said. “Messi and I? People are always going to compare, but I don’t find that frustratin­g. It is cool that people are talking about men’s footballer­s and women’s footballer­s in the same level.

“At the end of the day, we are all just footballer­s – only he’s a legend and probably one of the greatest of all time.

“I don’t think I am close to his level yet, but it is nice to have six Golden Boots like him, of course.”

The domestic season may be over, but now there is just the small matter of facing Barcelona in the women’s Champions League final in

Gothenburg

on Sunday. Then the Olympics, the Asia Cup and the World Cup after that for the 27-year-old Australia internatio­nal.

“It is a long and hard journey,” said Kerr (right). “This season’s been so long and there have been so many ups and downs. “There have been moments when I’ve been, ‘I just want to go home, I’m missing my family, it’s cold, it’s hard’. “I mean nothing compares to Australia – it’s just hard not having that feeling of being in your own space and the coffee, my family and my dog. “I haven’t seen my dog in over a year. I mean you can FaceTime your family. I can’t FaceTime my dog and say, ‘I’m coming home soon’ – she probably thinks I’m neglecting her. “But winning titles and things like this week just make it all worth it.

“It’s not all roses and butterflie­s, but I adore it.”

 ??  ?? AMONG THE GREATS Sam Kerr has won a Golden Boot six seasons running – she’s up there with Messi (left)
AMONG THE GREATS Sam Kerr has won a Golden Boot six seasons running – she’s up there with Messi (left)

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