Harry Kewell's Still Got It.

Whatever you might think of Australians, you have to take your hat off to Harry Kewell. No matter how many times he has been written off, he just keeps coming back. Like so many great players, it is unfortunate that his career was plagued by injury. It's almost like every time he was about to explode onto the scene, he would get another injury. At least he had the early days at Leeds up the end of the Dave O'Leary era which probably represented the peak of his career.

He didn't have the happiest of times at Liverpool where the Anfield faithful happy only when they see some jackass running aimlessly around the place. They had plenty such players in Kewell's time there. His lowest point came during the Champions League in Istanbul when he was taken off with an injury before half time, an injury some Liverpool fans claimed he faked because he couldn't hack the pressure of the occasion. It says a lot about his character that he was able to come back the following season to be one of Liverpool's best players in what was probably the best Liverpool have played this decade.

That might not be saying much but Kewell was still outstanding that year as he finally started to reproduce the form that made him famous. Liverpool had such a decent squad that year full of what John Giles might call proper players. There was a choice of Crouch, Fowler, Cisse or Morientes upfront. Sissoko looked like a prospect and it was the year Alonso scored from the half way line against Luton. They had better players than the Champions League winning team but the same spirit epitomised by the way they beat West Ham in the FA Cup Final. I'm sure I wasn't the only one pacing the garden outside wondering how they had managed to lose to the Hammers when Gerard banged home the equaliser in injury time.

That was as good as it got for Kewell at Liverpool he left the club at the end of the 07/08 season after two more injury stricken seasons at the club. There weren't too many effigies of Hicks and Gillett burned outside Anfield at the decision to allow Harry Kewell to leave the club.

It was a surprise that he chose to go to Galatasary of all places. Usually when a player of Kewell's age goes to a place like Turkey, it's usually in search of one last big pay check before he rides off into the sunset. Harry Kewell it seems has gone there to play football and he has been getting rave reviews for his performances in Turkey.

I wouldn't say he was instrumental in the Australians qualifying for the World Cup because even by his own admission that was a formality but he also claims to be in the best shape of his career and a fit Harry Kewell would be a great addition to the World Cup.

He has shown fierce determination to come back and by all accounts is playing as well as he ever has. It might be slightly worrying that he has been used as an emergency centre half for Galatasary and given a more defensive role for the Aussies but he doesn't seem to mind.

"We have had a lot of stick over these qualifying rounds over the way we have
performed, but sometimes it's all about just getting the job done. Once you are
there you can concentrate on the World Cup. If we go out on the weekend and play
with a solid defence and get that scrappy goal, we will take that now."

He still has the attacking instinct though as this goal for Galatasary against Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup shows. It would be nice to see him have another season in back in England or we'll just have to wait until next summer to find out for sure if he's still got it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_JazU0zLE

It is heartening in a way to see the return of a player like Harry Kewell who had been written off across the board. I guess it just goes to show that no matter what setbacks you incur, with the right attitude the best guys will always make it back to the top.