Not guilty - but how will Sam Kerr trial affect her career?

Sam Kerr may have been found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment but that is not the end of the story for one of women's football's most high-profile players.

There is a lingering question over how much lasting damage it will have on her reputation and career.

After the case, the Australia and Chelsea player apologised "for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening".

The trial heard Kerr and her partner Kristie Mewis had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them had smashed the vehicle's rear window.

Kerr said she and her partner had feared for their lives and in an expletive-laden exchange, accused one of the police officers of being "stupid and white".

Kerr was supported by her parents and brother Levi throughout the case. Her fiancee Mewis was in the public gallery once she had finished giving evidence as a witness for the defence.

When the verdict was read out, Kerr did not show much emotion while Mewis was in tears in the public gallery.

When it came to character evidence, Kerr had the support of high-profile figures in the world of football as well as family and friends including former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes and captain Millie Bright, who provided written references.

Ex-Chelsea and England goalkeeper Carly Telford was the only character witness to give evidence in court, and said that while her former team-mate was "exuberant" on the pitch, she was "quite shy and humble" off it.

Kerr herself acknowledged that being reminded of her behaviour on the night in question was "embarrassing", and apologised in court and again in her post-trial statement for the way she had expressed herself.

The significance of this court case was not lost on Kerr or those associated with her.

Chelsea had a legal representative in court for the entirety of it, and Kerr made additions to her public relations team in advance of the trial getting under way.

Tim Crow, a sports marketing expert, said: "There are plenty of precedents for athletes coming back from controversies like this, and taking their careers to new heights.

"There are two critical factors for Sam Kerr going forward. The first is her performance on the field: everything flows from that. The second is how she chooses to portray herself off the field, in her own voice through the media to control the narrative, or through sponsors.

"On the latter, it will be interesting to see how her existing sponsors react, and if any new sponsors come forward to back her, as she is now on the front line of the culture wars, at least for the time being."

BBC Sport has contacted Kerr's personal sponsors - Nike, Commbank and Australian mobile phone service Mate - for comment.

It remains to be seen how supporters react when Kerr returns to the pitch for the first time following this trial.

Kerr has been the subject of abuse previously, including homophobia.

The announcement she is expecting a child with Mewis drew homophobic comments online, which were condemned by Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor.

Blues supporters groups have celebrated the verdict, with Chelsea Pride among those to post online tributes, external to Kerr on Tuesday.

Chelsea have not yet made any comment about the case.

There was significant media interest in this case for the duration, not just among British media but Australian media.

The public gallery was so full that the court had to find extra seats for reporters, and each day there was a large number of camera crews and reporters filming and photographing Kerr's arrival at and departure from court.

Kerr is arguably the most famous sportswoman in Australia, having been the face of the Matildas' home World Cup in 2023 in which they came fourth.

Her status has seen Kerr become a symbol of Australia around the world outside of sport, and she was the national flag bearer at the coronation of King Charles III.

Following the outcome of the trial, Football Australia welcomed Kerr's statement, and spoke of her importance to the team.

"Sam has been a key figure in Australian football for many years, and we recognise the significant pressures that this matter has brought to everyone involved," the statement read.

Football Australia said it would "reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter", but stopped short of details, including whether Kerr would remain captain.

Reaction from the Australian public, when the BBC spoke to people on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Wednesday, was more mixed.

"I think people would make mistakes," said one person. "She's in the limelight and she has been a great role model for young girls. It's important for her to keep that, with everything she has done for female football in Australia."

"She obviously let herself down," said another. "I'm a bit surprised she has got away with it like she has. We'll see what comes from this for Chelsea and Australia I guess."

The not guilty verdict has not spared Kerr from criticism in the Australian media either.

Erin Smith, football writer for the Australian newspaper, said Kerr's behaviour was "unacceptable" for someone in a prominent leadership role.

"Football Australia needs to take a hard-line stance and send a message to the millions of Matildas fans that behaviour like this will not be swept under the rug and forgotten about," she wrote on Wednesday.

Alex Blair wrote for news.com.au that Kerr "could be facing an even bigger mountain to climb after her dramatic legal saga", and that she faced losing a chunk of her annual income - she earned a reported Aus$3.3m (£1.67m) in 2022 - if brands dropped her as a representative.

Writing for The Guardian Australia, Kieran Pender described the trial as "a Rorschach test, enabling observers to reach their own conclusions about the Matildas star well before a verdict was reached".

"Even before the verdict, it was clear that things will not be the same for Kerr, or Australian football, moving forward," he wrote. "The extent to which this incident tarnishes a glittering career, or is relegated to a footnote, remains to be seen."

Kerr remains a key figure for club and country, with both Chelsea and Australia keen to see her back on the pitch as soon as possible.

Now 31, Kerr made her senior international debut aged just 15 and has scored 69 goals in 128 appearances for the Matildas.

In 2019 she joined Chelsea, and was a key player in establishing them as the dominant WSL force under former manager Emma Hayes, winning five league titles.

She finished third in the Ballon d'Or Feminin voting in 2021 and 2022, then second in 2023. A "big-game player", she scored five goals in three successive FA Cup finals between 2021 and 2023, all won by Chelsea.

Kerr has not played since the end of 2023, suffering a serious knee injury during a winter training camp with Chelsea in January 2024.

But her return to action could be imminent, with reports suggesting , externalshe will be fit to play for Chelsea within a month.

Australia interim coach Tom Sermanni is hopeful she will be available for the April internationals,, external while she was part of Chelsea's winter training camp under new manager Bompastor at the start of this year.