Sydney, Aug 19 Australia captain Sam Kerr said that she has had the most amazing four weeks of her career being part of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
"Not only what has happened on the pitch, but what has happened off the pitch has been amazing," Kerr said at a press conference in Brisbane ahead of their third-place playoff against Sweden.
"When we first started at this World Cup, we could have never dreamed that this would happen - the way the country got behind us, the way we've been playing. It's been an amazing journey to be part of," the 29-year-old star noted.
Kerr told reporters that despite the disappointment of the Matildas 3-1 semifinal loss to England, they had already switched focus to the next game and had a burning desire to claim the tournament's bronze medal.
"For us, there is extra motivation to end on a high and really leave an amazing legacy. Coming third at a Women's World Cup is something that you can only dream of as a kid," Kerr said.
Kerr described her 2023 Women's World Cup experience as a "rollercoaster," as a calf injury had seen her left on the bench throughout the group phase.
"At some points in the tournament, I was thinking I might never play in this World Cup. But I was lucky enough that I was able to get back and now it's just the icing on the cake that I could step on the park and help the girls," said Kerr.
In Kerr's eyes, what makes the quadrennial tournament so special is that "teams are forever changing and women's football is changing quicker than people could have ever imagined."
"I hope to still be here. I'm only 29," she said, eyeing the 2027 Women's World Cup. "Most of us will still be here if we have the opportunity to be. We have to play at our clubs, play well and stay injury-free."
"At the moment, I haven't heard of any talks of anyone retiring or anything like that. So I think as long as there are 23 spots, everyone here will be fighting for them in four years to come," she added.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor