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Matildas captain Sam Kerr is in her hometown of Perth just weeks before the FIFA Women’s World Cup begins in Australia, reflecting on what it means to be an inspiration to young women.
Key points:
Soccer superstar Sam Kerr is visiting her hometown of PerthShe says the Matildas are feeling confident ahead of the Women’s World CupThe Matildas begin their tournament against Ireland on July 20
Kerr made the trip to Karrinyup Shopping Centre in Perth’s northern suburbs, to do a meet-and-greet with fans, many of them young girls dressed in Matildas jerseys.
Her message to them was to put their “heart and soul” into their aspirations, and that they could be whoever they wanted to be.
“I was one of them one day, lining up to go and meet my favourite athlete, and now to be on the other side of it, I know how important it is to have role models, to have people to look up to,” she said.
Matildas tracking nicely for World Cup
Asked about the upcoming World Cup matches, she said she was optimistic about playing with the team, but acknowledged they had some ground to cover.
Kerr said they had taken confidence from a 2-0 win over England in April.
“I feel really confident all the time whenever I step on the pitch with the Matildas,” she said.
“Last time, we had a great result against England, so I think that gives us a lot of confidence but there’s a long way to go.
“We’re not at our best right now but that’s what we’ve been planning for for the last four years — for us to be at our best in four weeks’ time.”
Kerr excited to be playing at home
Kerr expressed some disappointment at not playing a World Cup Game with her team in Perth — the Australian rounds are played in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
“It would have been a dream come true, icing on the cake to play in Perth and play in front of my friends and family,” she said.
“It’s really unfortunate that we couldn’t play in Perth. It’s out of our hands.”
But the striker said she was excited to be playing three Olympic qualifying games later this year.
“We’re playing here in October, I guess if we can’t play a World Cup here, it’s the next best thing,” she said.
“I’m really excited to get back home.”
The Matildas’ first World Cup home game will be held in Sydney against Ireland on July 20, as part of the month-long tournament.
Fans queue for glimpse of star
Some fans were queuing for hours at the shopping centre for the football star’s appearance, speaking of their excitement at getting to see her play soon.
“She plays soccer and I like the fact that it’s not just boys who play,” 13-year-old Katie Bebbington said.
“It makes me happier and it encourages me to play more and work harder.”
Another young girl in the queue, Lilly Robertson, said she had been a supporter of Kerr for as long as she knew about her and was hoping to make it to one of the World Cup games.
She wished the national women’s team good luck for the competition ahead.
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