Samantha Kerr won the Asian Women’s Player of the Year 2017 award
Bangkok: Samantha Kerr
joined the ranks of other Australian greats when she was named the winner of
the AFC Women’s Player of the Year 2017 award on Wednesday, and is grateful for
the recognition.
Previous Australian
winners of the award were Kate Gill in 2010, Katrina Gorry in 2014 and last
year’s Caitlin Foord.
“A lot of Australians
have previously won it, so I'm very humbled to win it. Not only because
Australians have won it but because it’s such a great award."
Kerr was quick to
dedicate the award to her teammates saying: “It’s been a good year for all the
clubs and my national team, the Matildas.
“I’m just really lucky
to be part of great teams, Australia’s Perth Glory and Sky Blue of the United
States, and of course the Matildas.”
The 24-year-old has had
a successful year, and said she would remember those achievements even in the
years to come.
“My top memory from this
year would be, on a personal level, breaking the record in the National Women’s
Soccer League, and tonight, and then winning the Tournament of Nations beating
US for the first time. It will definitely be a moment I will remember forever.”
She also believes that
her accomplishment will benefit women’s football development in Australia, but
maintains her position that a team’s success is more important.
“This is the third time
an Australian has won the award in four years, so I think we’re going in the
right direction for Australia in women’s football.
“And I’m really proud to
be flying the flag for Australia for the growth of women’s football and things
like this help.
“I am very lucky to be
part of two great clubs and more importantly my national team, so as I said
before, everything you win individually is second to team awards and hopefully
in the near future, I will have some success with the national team.”