Harry Kewell Bio Send To Friend  

After being heralded as the signing which could help make Liverpool into title contenders, the Merseysiders instead found themselves with a player bereft of form and fitness.

But after almost two-and-a-half years of mediocrity, Kewell finally began to display some of the skill which had made him such a star for Leeds United.

The Australian international began to win over the Anfield faithful who had begun to lose patience with his below-par performances.

Kewell joined Leeds in the summer of 1994 after being signed from the Australian Institute of Sport. Less than two years late he made his Premiership debut in a 1-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough.

The left-sided midfield player had to wait until the 1997/98 season to become a regular in the first team squad after an injury to Lee Sharpe created an opening.

Kewell's performances during 1998/99 brought a drooling collection of admirers, who drooled even further in 1999/2000.

Once rated by his former club chairman, Peter Ridsdale, as being worth £50million, the 1999/2000 campaign saw Harry Kewell pick up the PFA Young Footballer of the Year Award and the Leeds United Player of the Year gong.

His pace and trickery, confidence and eye for goal made him into a player who can play at either left-wing or up front.

Given all of that, Leeds fans were celebrating when Kewell signed a new contract in August 2000.

However, Kewell had to undergo an Achilles operation and missed much of the early part of the 2000/01 season and was sorely missed by manager David O'Leary. He would be out of action until December and it wasn't until February that he started to find some of his form again, with Leeds reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Kewell had a poor 2001/02 campaign, which included Australia's failure to reach the 2002 World Cup after a play-off defeat at the hands of Uruguay. His relations with fans back in his homeland have always been strained as he seldom plays friendlies and only appears for the big occasion.

As Leeds' cash worries deepened, the club had no choice but to sell Kewell in July 2003 with the player having only one season left on his contract. He agreed to join the club he supported as a boy, Liverpool, in a £5million deal in July 2003.

Leeds received just £3million due to a £2million payment to Kewell's management company. A far cry from the '£50million' days. It also emerged that the company had an amazing clause in Kewell's Leeds contract whereby they would net 50 per cent of any fee above £5million.

Kewell, who was handed the famous number seven shirt, turned down better financial packages in order to sign for Liverpool - but he was injured on his debut in a pre-season friendly against FC Cologne.

He was fit to start the season, but struggled to find his form in the early games as Gerard Houllier tried him in a number of positions. But he endeared himself to the fans by netting in the derby win at Everton in his fourth game.

His form was very inconsistent despite missing just two Premiership games in 2003/04. Although he bagged seven goals the Liverpool fans would have been expecting more.

In 2003 he married English soap star Sheree Murphy and in February 2004 he was named Oceania Player of the Year.

Kewell looked a shadow of his former self in 2004/05. A lack of form of any note and a series of niggling injuries restricted him to just 15 Premiership starts.

Although he was surprisingly selected to start the Champions League final he was substituted after just 23 minutes with an injury - though his performance was simply inept.

The 2005/06 season was seen as a make-or-break season for Kewell. And after missing the first two months of the campaign injured he began to find his feet again in the Premiership.

Plus, he was able to celebrate revenge over Uruguay in reaching the World Cup as Australia this time won the play-off on penalties.

Kewell still has a long way to go that he can prove he can rediscover the glories of old, and to shed accusations that he is only fit for the big occasion, such as the 2006 World Cup and the 2006/07 Champions League final after spending the season on the sidelines.

He made his 100th appearance for the club in 2005/06.