Chelsea striker Sam Kerr will appear in court next year charged with the alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer, adding a further layer of uncertainty to her future with the reigning Women’s Super League (WSL) champions.
Kerr has been ruled out until at least the end of this season since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury during a warm-weather training camp with Chelsea in January. Her contract expires this summer and, while The Athletic has reported she has agreed a new one in principle to remain at the west London side, nothing has been formally signed yet.
Here, we look at what the police charge means for the player and her club.
What exactly has Kerr been charged with?
On Monday, it emerged Kerr, one of the global stars of women’s football, had been charged by police on January 21 under Section 4A of the UK’s Public Order Act.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the charge “relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on January 30, 2023, in Twickenham”.
The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, south-west London, on Monday. Kerr is due to appear at a trial at Wimbledon Magistrates Court, also in south-west London, on…
