Kerr's stellar year continued last night when she scooped the Sportswoman of the Year award at the Women's Health Women In Sport Awards.

It's yet another entry on the 24-year-old's gleaming CV after a blockbuster year that saw her dominate at club and international level.

But as she told 442FM podcast, she very nearly gave up her career just a year ago after a run of injuries made her life miserable.

Instead though, she turned it all around and used it as a positive to bring out her best.

"It's been a bit crazy but it's been enjoyable," she told 442FM. "I could put it down to a lot of things but I think one of the biggest things was that I came so close to walking away from the game.

HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW ON THE NEW 442FM HERE:   

  SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES HERE  

"I went into the last W-League season with a kind of bad mindset in a way that if I get injured again, this will be my last game...so I'm just going to play every game as if it was my last.

"I still go into games like I have a curse – I get injured all the time when I'm playing away on a TV game. I get very nervous and my mind is ticking over. Both times I have been injured while playing away on TV...

"So this year I just went into the season with the mindset that any game could be my last and if I was remembered for one thing, it would be my unique style of play and that my personality shows through on the field...

"And it's kind all worked out."

Since the change in attitude, Kerr has been on fire, banging in goals for her clubs in Australia and the US, and in devastating for the the Matildas too.

Kerr admitted she found it tricky to translate her club form into international success - but the help of a psychologist has transformed her fortunes.

The psychologist introduced pre-Matildas game distraction techniques for Kerr to more closely match her club gameday routine and on-field role...and the results have been amazing.

Kerr has now been likened to a Matildas Messi - and seen her rising fame matched by her Australia team-mates, who also picked up the Australian Team of the Year Award at the Women In Sport ceremony last night too.

WATCH: Sam Kerr on joining the big name veterans of the Matildas as a 15 year old


But Kerr insists it's all down to her just having fun on and off the field.

She added: "I think that's kind of been my motto - not that this could be my last game, but just enjoying myself.

"That's why I started playing the game and I don't take myself too seriously."

Read more on Sam's amazing year
in the NEW FourFourTwo - on sale now!