WA’s soccer star and WAIS graduate Sam Kerr will pull on the green and gold at captain of the Matildas as the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Kerr returns for a second Games and will be one of three WA representatives on the team, joined by goalkeeper Lydia Williams who lined up with Kerr in Rio and defender Aivi Luik who makes their debut.
“It is a really proud moment for me. Obviously going to and Olympics is every kids dream when you are growing up. To do it with this team for the second time is a really proud moment for me,” said an elated Kerr.
“It is definitely not something that I take for granted. I love this team I love the girls I play with so to be able to go and represent our country with them is a dream come true.
Expectations are always high when it comes to the Matildas, however Kerr is firmly focused on performances on the field.
“That’s Tony’s [Gustavsson] job to talk about expectations, my job is to worry about performance and for me the the most important game is the first game, playing New Zealand and that’s all I’ve really thought about and that’s all I’ll worry about until I get to the Olympics.
“What better way to start the Olympics than against our rivals New Zealand so its going to be a good game and the only thing I am worried about is how I perform and how the team performs on that day. It is a tricky tournament so every game is really important so that first game for us is like the final at this point.
Coach Tony Gustavsson said the strength of the squad made today’s selection very difficult.
“The players that have been selected, it’s a team with a lot of passion and pride to now represent the country. It’s a spirit within the team that I love,” he said
“It’s a team and a roster that is very attacking balanced, but also with a lot of versatility. There’s a lot of players in this roster that can play multiple positions with which is exactly what you need in an Olympic tournament.
The Matildas will commence their competition on July 21 against New Zealand at Tokyo Stadium.
Perth born Ashley Maynard-Brewer was selected to the Olyroos.
