Harry Kewell

[Peter]

 

Need to move the Ace of Hearts over to the east side for the WSW send of match to make it look like a bumper crowd..

...or perhaps move the camera...?

Nah!

[Murfy1]

 

 

 

[Libero]

was the game between us and WSW planned for the last game of the season due to the possibility of Kewell retiring? 

[Bozza]

 

 

 

 

Our greatest player IMO.

i thought was serviceable and i enjoyed having him, but no that is not right

 

I do agree his not our best ever player but possibly the best player to have played at Heart. Sibon and Engelaar his competition.

Makes me think we've only had 4 seasons and only 1 finals match, so the bar isn't set very high but who would be our best player for Heart?

 

Garcia.

 

 

 

Wow he really did try to take us for everything!

[n i k o]

was the game between us and WSW planned for the last game of the season due to the possibility of Kewell retiring? 

Doubt it. We played them last season at home for the last game.

[hakz7]

Harry's last game would be a good way to get >10k attendance.

Hope he scores...

[n i k o]

Harry's last game would be a good way to get >10k attendance.

Hope he scores...

FFA should be doing everything they can to advertise Harry's last game. Some may think its crazy but I'd be disappointed if any less than 12k came, provided it's advertised accordingly.

[Huzie]

Harry all over TV in Phuket.

Grats mate! Wonderful and colourful career.

Greatest Australian player ever IMO.

[malloy]

I personally hate the cunt, but he should be applauded for his achievements. For those alone he deserves our respect.

[Attack11]

I just think of the Champions league final Liverpool vs AC Milan Rafa Benitez puts his strongest 11 and Harry Kewell name was there. Will there ever be an Australian player to achieve that? I don't think so His the Greatest Australian player ever IMO..! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[coys]

Just to clarify I hope and feel that it is recognised we pay tribute to Harry

[Tonyboozeadams]

I still think that Schwarzer, Viudka or Craig johnston are the contenders for top Aussie Footballer. Kewell and Cahill are not far behind

[Tonyboozeadams]

I for one will be cheering hard for Harry. Not a fan of him (remember that whole club over country tantrum he pulled) or the fact he only came back home after no club in Europe (or UAE) wanted him. 

 

But he gave his all for our club (when not golfing) and I will give my all for his last game. 

 

Congrats on the career Harry. And thank you for inspiring a generation of young kids to kick a football and support the game

[Shahanga]

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/harry-kewell-named-greatest-ever-australian-footballer/48120

 

So that's why people keep repeating it.

 

Johnston famously never made himself available to play for Australia, so I'm not sure we can count him.  Bit like Vieri really.

Baartz had a lot of wraps on him and must have been damn good.  Marston must have been alright too.

 

Viduka was a fantastic player but I rate Kewell ahead of him.  

[Tonyboozeadams]

Its true that Johnston never wanted to play for Australia. But he was still damn good. over 300 games for one of the great Liverpool squads.

 

He also invented the addidas predator boots

[Tonyboozeadams]

and some device that tells hotels when there has been stuff taken from the mini bar. 

[Tonyboozeadams]

How many inventions has Harry made? none! and those politix adds are the worst

[Tonyboozeadams]

I jest, Harry is was a class footballer

[theresonlyonebzamora]

How many inventions has Harry made? none!

Hahaha damn it I didn't even think of this.

Sack Kewell.

[alex_terra_11]

Surely we will have some sort of chant sorted out for him against WSW

[Murfy1]

Kewell interview on SEN this morning: https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/harry-kewell-on-the-morning

[Murfy1]

http://youtu.be/amKMYZLOO7c

[Murfy1]

Robbie Slater says Socceroos legend Harry Kewell should be honoured at the 2015 Asian Cup

 

 

March 29, 2014

 

 

HERE’S a thought: Why don’t we make Harry Kewell joint Asian Cup ambassador with Alessandro Del Piero next year.

 

It would be the perfect way for fans to farewell Harry and it would honour an Australian born champion who surely ranks as the most gifted player we have produced.

 

As for the greatest Socceroo, I’d have to put Kewell and Tim Cahill in the grand final — and perhaps Timmy shades it because he’s the country’s leading goalscorer and will be going to a third straight World Cup.

 

It’s a close call.

 

However, Kewell belongs in any conversation when discussing Australia’s most naturally talented footballers — and that’s from any code.

 

For a boy to go from western Sydney, play for his country at 17, do what he did in England with Leeds and play at two World Cups deserves to be recognised.

 

Injuries slowed him down late in his career, but the enduring memories of Kewell will be the pace, power and balance of his runs down the left for Leeds and Australia.

 

For much of his career, he was the one Aussie player rival nations feared.

 

That’s why he has earned the right to be paraded around the country in a prolonged victory lap in January when the Asian Cup kicks off.

 

Having Del Piero as tournament ambassador seems a strange fit.

 

We all know he’s a brilliant player — one of the greatest of all time — but his best work was done in Europe with Juventus and on the world stage with Italy.

 

Ambassador for the Champions League? Maybe.

 

In contrast, Kewell played in the last Asian Cup final, he helped put Australian football on the world map and he’s a Socceroo great.

 

We probably can’t undo the Del Piero role now, but we can make Harry a large part of the celebration.

 

Kewell has always been his own man, deeply private away from football which can sometimes be mistaken for aloofness.

 

But what we saw last Wednesday was Kewell with the shutters down, giving fans a rare glimpse of his life away from the game as he reflected on retirement with his kids nearby.

 

I thought Kewell handled the announcement with class and humility. He didn’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder, he didn’t leave Ange Postecoglou with the emotional decision of leaving him out.

 

He walked away for the good of the Socceroos.

 

It was an example to some other players who keep raging against the dying of the light rather than face the inevitable and move on.

 

I just hope Kewell gets to play against Western Sydney Wanderers and is given the send off he deserves from Melbourne Heart fans. And the FFA then ensures he’s not lost to our game after that.

 

The Asian Cup would be a good place to start. If you look beyond the World Cup, being crowned the best team in Asia early next year would be the best gauge of where the national team is heading.

 

Only the eternal optimist would think we can qualify in Brazil against the likes of Chile, Holland and Spain. The Asian Cup is different, it’s a tournament we should expect to win. South Korea will be a difficult assignment and we have played against Oman and Kuwait enough to know what to expect from them.

 

Kuwait are interesting. They are now coached by Brazilian Jorvan Vieira, who won the 2007 Asian Cup with Iraq and will be coming to get us.

 

While the leading Asian nations all point to the Socceroos as favourites, they also know we are a team in transition and will be looking to take advantage of that.

 

The World Cup will be spectacular, as it always is, but I can’t wait for the Asian Cup.

 

It will be exciting to see how much our young players have grown from the experience of facing the world’s best players in Brazil. It will represent the next chapter of Australian football.

 

And what better way to mark the occasion than having Kewell on hand to officially pass the torch to Tommy Rogic and the new generation.

 

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/football/robbie-slater-says-socceroos-legend-harry-kewell-should-be-honoured-at-the-2015-asian-cup/story-fnhq5z8s-1226868618557

Edited March 29, 2014 by Murfy1

[Murfy1]

Harry Kewell’s former club and country teammate Craig Moore pays tribute to retiring star

 

Craig Moore

 

30 March, 2014

 

 

HARRY Kewell changed Australian football. Not just with his crucial goals that always came at big moments, but with his status as our first truly world-class player.

 

Imagine how many young Aussie players have been inspired by Harry? Inspired to play with technique and flair, to believe they can match the best in the world.

 

As a nation, we have always produced athletic, competitive and determined footballers, but Harry was a gem. Because he made his mark for pure football genius, Harry has shown us what’s possible. That’s his real legacy.

 

We had players like Eddie Krncevic, Frank Farina, Ned Zelic and others who made the big time in Europe, but until Harry we did not have a presence at the very top tier.

 

You don’t play in a European Champions League final and get voted young player of the year in the EPL unless you are top quality.

 

Socceroo fans will never forget his goal against Croatia in Stuttgart that gave our nation a place in the round of 16 and our best ever international performance.

 

I have fond memories of another goal. At Upton Park in London in 2003, Harry scored in our famous 3-1 win over England. The goal was pretty special, but the way he made Rio Ferdinand look like a rookie is what I’ll never forget.

 

Rio was one of the top defenders in the world and on his way to becoming England captain, but Harry had too much class. That’s an Aussie kid from Smithfield running rings around England’s finest.

 

Harry has quit just months from the World Cup in Brazil and said it is time for the youngsters to step up. He is right. Change has arrived for the Socceroos and we must rebuild.

 

The World Cup that Harry missed when he should have gone was 1998 in France. He scored a goal in both legs against Iran at just 19 years of age, but the Socceroos bombed out on away goals after leading 2-0 at the MCG.

 

In those games, Terry Venables gave the teenage Harry the nod over more experienced players. It was the right decision to go with youth then, and it’s the right decision now.

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/harry-kewells-former-club-and-country-teammate-craig-moore-pays-tribute-to-retiring-star/story-fni2wcjl-1226868550489

 

 

Fine article.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Murfy1

[marteaux]

Craig Moore is a cunt but he's probably right.

It's obvious to see how much of a shambles our NT has been since Golden Generation etc.

[malloy]

Craig Moore is a cunt but he's probably right.

It's obvious to see how much of a shambles our NT has been since Golden Generation etc.

I think this is largely down to the transition from NSL to A league.

[samardzija]

 

I was against the idea of signing Kewell and to be quite blunt and honest about it, it has been a bust and a half. Was portrayed as the saviour, even worse was made captain. Barely been fit for half our games and when the team was designed to play around him, him not being able to play was a big issue.

Baffles me to how he stretched out his career for so long, hopefully we learn from this and steer clear of Aussie players returning to the A-League once there top level careers are done. Should be giving more opportunities to younger players like Mauk and Gooch and not look to build around players in there early to mid 30s.

I'm sure they exist somewhere but I've never seen you post something positive about MHFC. Why so critical? I think there's merit in your opinion here but not entirely, I think it depends on the player(s)

 

I find it hard to be positive about Kewell's influence on the club, he was supposed to bring so many improvements to the club but delivered on none of them. He was meant to be the missing link in our formation, help push us towards the title, bring crowd numbers up and bring the MHFC brand into the mainstream media. I think its pretty safe to say that he has not succeeded in any of these areas, saying that, its not all his fault but he and JA were the 2 biggest issues this season.

[jw1739]

 

 

I was against the idea of signing Kewell and to be quite blunt and honest about it, it has been a bust and a half. Was portrayed as the saviour, even worse was made captain. Barely been fit for half our games and when the team was designed to play around him, him not being able to play was a big issue.

Baffles me to how he stretched out his career for so long, hopefully we learn from this and steer clear of Aussie players returning to the A-League once there top level careers are done. Should be giving more opportunities to younger players like Mauk and Gooch and not look to build around players in there early to mid 30s.

I'm sure they exist somewhere but I've never seen you post something positive about MHFC. Why so critical? I think there's merit in your opinion here but not entirely, I think it depends on the player(s)

 

I find it hard to be positive about Kewell's influence on the club, he was supposed to bring so many improvements to the club but delivered on none of them. He was meant to be the missing link in our formation, help push us towards the title, bring crowd numbers up and bring the MHFC brand into the mainstream media. I think its pretty safe to say that he has not succeeded in any of these areas, saying that, its not all his fault but he and JA were the 2 biggest issues this season.

 

So far, 823 minutes on the field in 15 matches, for 2 goals.

 

IMO it's not an issue with the fact that he's HK. It's more that he exemplifies the risks you take when you sign 30+ players with a history of injuries.

 

This season has been so disappointing from so many perspectives, and I think Harry has just been caught up in that and dragged down by it. If we'd scored just 10 or so more goals in the right matches we would have made the play-offs, and the reputations of a number of people might not have been tarnished as they have been.

 

Whatever his motives were, it doesn't matter for me - Harry gave it one last time and he deserves credit for that. And he will retire wearing a Heart jersey, which will be something for the history books.

[Alexxandro]

 

 

I was against the idea of signing Kewell and to be quite blunt and honest about it, it has been a bust and a half. Was portrayed as the saviour, even worse was made captain. Barely been fit for half our games and when the team was designed to play around him, him not being able to play was a big issue.

Baffles me to how he stretched out his career for so long, hopefully we learn from this and steer clear of Aussie players returning to the A-League once there top level careers are done. Should be giving more opportunities to younger players like Mauk and Gooch and not look to build around players in there early to mid 30s.

I'm sure they exist somewhere but I've never seen you post something positive about MHFC. Why so critical? I think there's merit in your opinion here but not entirely, I think it depends on the player(s)

 

I find it hard to be positive about Kewell's influence on the club, he was supposed to bring so many improvements to the club but delivered on none of them. He was meant to be the missing link in our formation, help push us towards the title, bring crowd numbers up and bring the MHFC brand into the mainstream media. I think its pretty safe to say that he has not succeeded in any of these areas, saying that, its not all his fault but he and JA were the 2 biggest issues this season.

 

Who said he was supposed to do all this?

 

He was hardly one of the team's "biggest" issues. Misfud's failure and Engelaar's injury each probably had as much if not more influence on the team's results than Kewell's injury. 

[theresonlyonebzamora]

samardzija that's fair enough but i don't think much if any of that was really his fault - jw and alexx have said it well

[Murfy1]

If Heart had a decent, balanced squad, then Kewell would have been a very useful normal player. Not a main or star player, just 1 player among many.

 

Kewell actually probably did help boost the profile of Heart slightly, and slightly increase memberships (which are well up on last season) and attendances, which were healthy and over 8k for the first 3 home games (and doing ok in total average attendence). It's not like club success could have done these things, with Heart finishing equal last last season, and not winning a game until January this year. And it's not like Heart had any other star signings to attract crowds (with Engelaar also not playing his first game until January).

 

But the big problem is that Melbourne Heart and Aloisi did expect Kewell to be a star player, who would be important in most games. Aloisi did seem to envisage Kewell being the number 10 for the whole season, who would link the midfield with the attack (clearest shown with the first Heart match, where Kewell tried to thread long passes through to the striker [who was then Golgol, but Mifsud was planned to be there]). And tragically when Kewell was unavailable, Aloisi overlooked every sensible other option as a number 10, such as Kalmar, Mauk, Dugandzic, and played Williams as the number 10 for 7 games (who completely lacks everything a no 10 should have).

 

The problem was the expectations the club and Aloisi heaped on Kewell. Kewell himself was a solid normal player in the squad, and he did what should have been expected of him. 

 

 

I don't think Kewell's age in isolation is an issue. There are numerous useful players a bit over 30 in the A-League, such as Liam Miller, John Hutchinson, Mile Sterjovski, archie thompson, Paul Ifill and Shane Smeltz (currently Perth's top goalscorer, despite his limited appearances). So a normal player can be a bit over 30, and can still be real useful (and indeed, be better than younger alternatives).

 

The problem for Heart is that Heart have recruited too many players over 30, and arguably have expected too much from them. This season Heart recruited Rob Wielaert (35), Orlando Engelaar (34), Harry Kewell (35), Michael Mifsud (32) and Patrick Kisnorbo (33), and expected them all to be regular starters and important contributors (also, decrepit 31 year old Macallister took up a squad spot). Heart actually did the same thing in the first season, recruiting too many players on the wrong side of 30 (Sibon [37], Bolton [35], Skoko [35], Aloisi [35], Colosimo [32], Beauchamp [30], Heffernan [30]).

 

So IMO the individual age of a player isn't an issue at all. But there is an issue when too many players are over 30, and the squad becomes unbalanced. Kewell and the non-Heart 30 year olds mentioned above have been valuable contributors in their 30s in the A-League, but to get team success there should only be about 2 or 3 players on the wrong side of 30 in a team IMO, and Heart have come up short time and again because the age distribution has been frequently wrong.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Murfy1

[samardzija]

 

 

 

I was against the idea of signing Kewell and to be quite blunt and honest about it, it has been a bust and a half. Was portrayed as the saviour, even worse was made captain. Barely been fit for half our games and when the team was designed to play around him, him not being able to play was a big issue.

Baffles me to how he stretched out his career for so long, hopefully we learn from this and steer clear of Aussie players returning to the A-League once there top level careers are done. Should be giving more opportunities to younger players like Mauk and Gooch and not look to build around players in there early to mid 30s.

I'm sure they exist somewhere but I've never seen you post something positive about MHFC. Why so critical? I think there's merit in your opinion here but not entirely, I think it depends on the player(s)

 

I find it hard to be positive about Kewell's influence on the club, he was supposed to bring so many improvements to the club but delivered on none of them. He was meant to be the missing link in our formation, help push us towards the title, bring crowd numbers up and bring the MHFC brand into the mainstream media. I think its pretty safe to say that he has not succeeded in any of these areas, saying that, its not all his fault but he and JA were the 2 biggest issues this season.

 

Who said he was supposed to do all this?

 

He was hardly one of the team's "biggest" issues. Misfud's failure and Engelaar's injury each probably had as much if not more influence on the team's results than Kewell's injury. 

 

 

Read this thread from the start and you'll see what everyones (Heart board, JA, forum) expections of Kewell this season was, on and off the pitch.

 

No point getting into a discussion on Hearts issues this season, everyone has an opinion on it and no one is right or wrong about it.

[Murfy1]

Melbourne Heart winger Mate Dugandzic shares his view on Harry Kewell’s retirement

 

Mate Dugandzic

 

April 2, 2014

 

 

MY FIRST memories of Harry Kewell are of watching a young Australian footballer in the famous white Leeds United strip terrorising defenders in the English Premier League.

 

Harry is a footballer that almost every young player in Australia dreamt of emulating, a player who switched from Leeds United to Liverpool and won a Champions League at a time when he was one of the most sought-after players in the world.

 

The way he would cut onto his left foot and hit piercing drives at gasping goalkeepers was something to behold and I have no doubt he will go down as the best footballer in Australia’s history.

 

I was a little bit shocked when he announced his retirement, as he is still in strong physical condition.

 

As captain of Melbourne Heart, he’s bought a lot of experience to the A-League and our fans have been able to see the country’s best player in the last season of his career.

 

While he won’t pull on the boots again, I have no doubt Harry’s legacy will be remembered for many years to come.

 

Most football fans will recall his goals for the Socceroos in friendlies and at the World Cup and the countless good memories he provided for football followers in Australia.

 

Although we play on different wings, he’s been an ideal player to learn from.

 

I know that is a are sentiment many of the members of our playing squad would echo as we prepare for our final games alongside Harry.

 

The knowledge and experiences he’s bought to the squad are unrivalled and it’s been a pleasure playing alongside of the all-time legends of our sport.

 

Speaking of great memories, our Dutch midfielder Orlando Engelaar got the world talking with his long-range bomb against Central Coast, beating Mariners keeper Liam Reddy half.

 

I took off when Orlando got the ball, expecting he’d play a pass.

 

But what eventuated was one of the more special goals scored in the A-League and one that will be recounted for a long time to come.

 

If you haven’t seen it, head to YouTube and prepare for something special.

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/sport/melbourne-heart-winger-mate-dugandzic-shares-his-view-on-harry-kewells-retirement/story-fnglemo4-1226872373246

Edited April 2, 2014 by Murfy1

[Murfy1]

Extended interview with Harry Kewell on SEN, with Finey, Michael Zappone and David Davutovic:

 

https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/harry-kewell-on-evenings-with

 

 

Edit:

 

Here's the full audio, including the Kewell interview, then discussion with all of the above plus Michael Bridges

 

https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/michael-bridges-and-harry

Edited April 8, 2014 by Murfy1

[Murfy1]

Retiring great Harry Kewell reflects on time at Leeds, Liverpool, and Socceroos highlights

 

David Davutovic

 

April 10, 2014

 

TURKEY, Hungary, Macedonia, Brazil, Vietnam, Japan, Saudi Arabia to name a few.

 

Harry Kewell has a travel catalogue to make the most adventurous of backpackers envious, but the frequent flyer revealed what’s its been like living a footballer’s life since he was 16.

 

“There’s an App which shows you how many places in the world you’ve been to and I’ve covered 24 per cent,’’ Kewell said.

 

“It looks big, but out of that 24 per cent I’ve only seen the local stadium, hotels and a bit of the city. So I’ll be able to go on holidays and take in what’s actually there.

 

“I did photoshoots in Istanbul at the Blue Mosque, went to the Bazaar. Everything was work though, I wasn’t in that mindset.

 

“I’ve always been professional and done the right thing by the club, and that wasn’t sightseeing.

 

“I’ve already lived a life, now it’s time to live another life. It’s a chance for me to go and explore.’’

 

Reflecting at one of his favourite Brighton cafes over coffee, Kewell painted a relaxed, engaging figure absolutely at ease with his decision.

 

It’s a total contrast for the man who has been on edge for the past decade, facing criticism from fans and media while battling to keep his body together.

 

The 13 operations and constant injuries — some bizarre — meant that his swashbuckling form at Leeds United was repeated only in doses thereafter.

 

It also led Kewell to seriously consider retiring during the latter part of his stint at Liverpool.

 

“My injuries were my biggest regret, I’d be lying if I said that thought (retirement) didn’t creep into my mind (at Liverpool),’’ he said.

 

“Sitting on the edge of my bed looking down at the floor thinking what’s wrong with me? Why is this happening to me? What have I done? Every time I kicked the ball something broke.

 

“It was moments like that when I thought I might as well just walk away from the game, I’m done.

 

They’re the moments that truly test you.

 

“But I had too strong a family and too many people that cared about me that said don’t walk away.

 

“Liverpool, I signed for five years and felt that for three of those I was injured. I’m not one to take the piss, if you only saw the amount of strapping I had.

 

“I used to go out to games where I couldn’t kick with my left foot and I could only turn in one direction but I still felt I was playing good football.

 

“Everyone has regrets, but the bad experiences and wrong decisions can sculpt you as a person.

 

“What I can say is that I pushed my body to the limit. And then I kept going.’’

 

Kewell made his Socceroos debut in a 3-0 loss away to Chile in April, 1996, age 17 but 19 months later he announced himself to Australia.

 

Having already debuted for Leeds United, Kewell scored in the 1-1 draw away to Iran before netting in the fateful 2-2 draw at the MCG.

 

While Graham Arnold, Robbie Slater, Alex Tobin and Aurelio Vidmar realised their last chance to play in a World Cup had just eluded them, Kewell conceded the events of 29 November 1997 were a whirlwind.

 

“I was devastated, but I wanted the next one to come around and I was adamant it wouldn’t happen again. I was too young to appreciate it,’’ Kewell said.

 

“Tehran was packed out, but you’re young, you can stick us anywhere in the world and I’d survive, I just wanted to play.

 

“I had a good core of older players around me in good leagues, they sheltered me and they were good characters.

 

“Coming back to Melbourne we walked out in front of almost 100,000 people and I wasn’t scared or nervous. And to be able to score again and do that celebration, which came from Lee Sharpe, in front of your home crowd to put your name on the map, that’s exciting.’’

 

But with a new Australian hero born, interest levels in the English Premier League spiked and when Mark Viduka joined Kewell at Leeds United Saturday nights on Fox Sports were must-watch TV for football fans.

 

Many Leeds shirts are still stacked in cupboards across Australia and Kewell reflected with genuine excitement about that young, brash United side.

 

“It’s where I learnt my trade, where I got my chance and where I excelled and I took it with both hands and feet,’’ he said.

 

“When we had the core of that team and were playing well, we feared no-one. People who tried to bully us at Elland Road got it back because we had nasty players and they couldn’t outrun us or outplay us. We had phenomenal talent.’’

 

The World Cup never saw the best of Kewell — that would have been Japan-Korea 2002 — but it didn’t stop him having an almighty impact in 2006 when his equaliser against Croatia secured a second round passage while further heroics loomed in 2006 until he was sent off against Ghana in his one and only appearance.

 

Perhaps his greatest Socceroos performance came in a 3-1 friendly win over England at West Ham’s Upton Park — just four months before he signed for Liverpool — when he scored a stunning second goal.

 

“You have moments in football where you’re invincible, where you go out and whatever you do, you touch, you see things before others do, you know exactly what’s around you,’’ Kewell said.

 

“I was playing well at Leeds, I was fit, I was strong, I had nothing to worry about, I was enjoying my football. And that rivalry.

 

“They’re the great moments, the ones you’d love to capture all the time but you can’t — the moments that truly test a player are the tough times.’’

 

Kewell said he still wonders what may have been had he been fit to take on Italy in the round of 16 clash at Germany 2006.

 

“It was a rollercoaster. My preparation was different to everyone else’s, but (Guus) Hiddink knew how to play me and I did exactly what he asked,’’ he said.

 

“I tried everything to try and get up for it but failed. It was frustrating, they were down to 10 men, we were dominating, we were lacking creativity up front to finish them off.

 

“If we’d beaten them we were a great chance, we would’ve drawn Ukraine and then you never know.’’

 

Kewell, who turns 36 in September, had no doubt about the timing of his call and said suggestions of desperation to reach Brazil 2014 had been overblown.

 

“I’ve already had a taste of retirement (in between Victory and Heart) and it is scary,’’ Kewell said.

 

“It will take me a few years to look back and appreciate it. I always wanted more, I always wanted to be the best. I loved winning, hated losing. I’m a sore loser.

 

“I still love the game that much I still want to stay involved. Some players fall out of love, but I haven’t and I will stay involved in my academy which I’m passionate about.

 

“So from my career, I wanted more. But it’s the right decision. I’ve been thinking about it a long time.’’

 

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/football/retiring-great-harry-kewell-reflects-on-time-at-leeds-liverpool-and-socceroos-highlights/story-fnii0fc4-1226880383153

Edited April 10, 2014 by Murfy1

[Shahanga]

In 2006 I heard all the stuff about Harry being injured and how he might miss that Italy game, but it wasn't until he came up the race on crutches that I realised he wasn't playing- until then i was convinced he would.  Devastated hardly expresses it.

[Alexxandro]

I love the expression of absolute joy on his face after scoring at the World Cup:

 

 

I aways thought Kewell had a tougher job than Aloisi in the penalty shootout back in 2005. A miss and Socceroos would be on the back foot. JA could have missed and it would have been okay because they would still be in it and Viduka had missed also. If Kewell had missed and the Socceroos gone on to lose he would have been crucified for the miss for ever: 

 

Edited April 12, 2014 by Alexxandro

[Alexxandro]

Had a dream of a James Bond type world where Harry Kewell was meant to be on on my side. But it turned out he was stealing honey and hiding it in his ear canal. We discovered this by cutting his head open after he had been killed by baddies. 

 

Thought this was important information to share.

[Dylan]

I love the expression of absolute joy on his face after scoring at the World Cup:

 

 

I aways thought Kewell had a tougher job than Aloisi in the penalty shootout back in 2005. A miss and Socceroos would be on the back foot. JA could have missed and it would have been okay because they would still be in it and Viduka had missed also. If Kewell had missed and the Socceroos gone on to lose he would have been crucified for the miss for ever: 

 

 

 

Everyone talks about this shoot out and never mentions who we really should thank etc etc

 

 

SCHWARZER

[Nate]

 

I love the expression of absolute joy on his face after scoring at the World Cup:

 

 

I aways thought Kewell had a tougher job than Aloisi in the penalty shootout back in 2005. A miss and Socceroos would be on the back foot. JA could have missed and it would have been okay because they would still be in it and Viduka had missed also. If Kewell had missed and the Socceroos gone on to lose he would have been crucified for the miss for ever: 

 

 

 

Everyone talks about this shoot out and never mentions who we really should thank etc etc

 

 

SCHWARZER

 

Still gives me goosebumps!