This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr will make her long-awaited Chelsea debut on Sunday in what’s been called a turning point signing for women’s football in the UK.

Kerr touched down in London last weekend from the US and will feature against Reading in the Barclays Women’s Super League with the London club hoping her arrival will help them claim a Champions League spot.

Kerr v Miedema is coming to WSL and could have shades of Messi v Ronaldo | Eni Aluko Read more

The 26-year-old trained with her new teammates for the first time this week at Chelsea’s Surrey training ground and is likely to be named in the starting line-up by manager Emma Hayes for the match at the Kingsmeadow ground in south-west London.

The top two sides in the WSL will qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea are currently third - four points behind leaders Arsenal and one behind Manchester City - but with a game in hand.

The Londoners reportedly spent two years courting the signing of Kerr, who holds the goalscoring record in both the American NSWL and the W-League and been short-listed for the Ballon d’Or in the last two seasons.

Chelsea beat off competition from European champions Lyon to sign the Matildas skipper, who scored 19 goals for Chicago Red Stars last season and 13 for Perth Glory en route to the W-League grand final.

The post-Sam Kerr reality is proving a harsh one for Perth Glory | Ella Reilly Read more

Kerr will comfortably be the best-paid female player in the history of the English game and one of the highest in the world having agreed terms on a three-year deal believed to be worth over $1million.

“The WSL is the best league in Europe,” Kerr said on the Chelsea website.

“I want team success and I don’t want it to come easy. I feel Chelsea have been building something special over the years and I want to be a part of that — I want to lift some trophies.”

The match kicks off at 11.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.