Women’s Asian Cup: Matildas superstar and captain Sam Kerr arrives back home in Perth

The Matildas’ superstar captain has returned back to where her journey began ahead of the hugely-anticipated Women’s Asian Cup.

Sam Kerr touched down in her home city of Perth shortly before midnight on Tuesday, arriving alongside wife Kristie Mewis and baby son Jagger.

Mewis emerged through Perth Airport’s international arrival gates first with Jagger in tow, while Kerr followed immediately behind with the trio’s luggage before they were quickly greeted by her parents Roger and Roxanne.

The Asian Cup will begin with the hosts taking on the Philippines at Optus Stadium on Sunday and Kerr, who returned from an ACL injury which sidelined her for the better part of 18 months in September of last year, said she could not wait.

“I’m just excited to get out here and play,” Kerr said.

“We’ve been waiting a while for the Asian Cup, and obviously with my injury, I’ve been looking forward to it.”

The Matildas did not play in Perth in the 2023 Women’s World Cup — when they became a national cultural icon on the back of a barnstorming run to the semifinals — and the city also did not host any knockout games.

But Sunday’s Asian Cup opener features the home side and will be the first of 10 games played in the west, including two quarterfinals and a semifinal.

Kerr said she was delighted to see her home city be given a huge role to play in the tournament.

“Perth missed out in the World Cup, but we’ve got the opening game (of the Asian Cup), so it kind of makes up for it,” she said.

“It’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait.”

Kerr will enter the tournament in goal-scoring form, having found the back of the net for club side Chelsea in a 2-1 Women’s FA Cup win over Manchester United only hours before leaving for Australia.

She said her surgically-repaired knee felt “completely fine”.

“I’m ready to go. I’m looking forward to the games beginning,” Kerr said.

“I feel like whenever I’m on the pitch, I’m confident in my ability to score.”

When asked if the Matildas could lift the Asian Cup, Kerr was bullish.

“We’ll take it one game at a time, but I definitely think so,” she said.

“Off the back of the World Cup and with the home crowd behind us, I think it’s a massive advantage for us.”

Kerr said she was hopeful rather than certain Jagger would be able to see her in action, given the starting times of the games.

“I don’t even know if he’ll make it, to be honest. They’re pretty late,” he said.

“It’ll be exciting for him to be there for his first Matildas game.”

Kerr was on the same flight as Matildas teammate Clare Hunt and the remainder of the squad not already in Perth is expected to arrive on Wednesday.