Harry Kewell, The Wizard of Oz and the ups and downs that make you say 'if only'

At the age of 12, Harry Kewell stunned his coaches. After winning the NSW state championship with the Marconi Stallions under-13s, coach Stephen Treloar asked him to write down his goals for the future. The famously confident boy from western Sydney mapped out a clear and detailed path, from playing for the state youth team to representing the national under-17 and under-20 teams, becoming a professional footballer, and then moving into coaching at the age of 40.

Treloar still has that piece of paper and, looking back, says Kewell achieved everything he set out to do. Not only that, but he also achieved milestones beyond his wildest dreams, such as winning the Champions League and FA Cup with Liverpool, playing in two World Cups with Australia and, in 2012, being named Australia’s greatest footballer of all time.

One detail Kewell could not have predicted was the realisation of his dream outside his homeland. At 15, he left Australia for England after impressing with the Marconi Stallions youth team and winning a four-week training trip to Leeds United as part of an exchange programme between the two countries.

Together with teammate Brett Emerton, the two flew to Heathrow Airport (London) and made their way to Kings Cross Station to catch the train to Leeds. They were almost kicked out of Elland Road (Leeds' home ground and headquarters) because security guards mistook them for trespassers.

“We’re here to see Paul Hart (Leeds youth coach),” Kewell said loudly. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Kewell's football journey actually began long before that. As a child he was exposed to many sports , such as rugby, tennis and golf. Kewell was not the best at any of them, but he was certainly among the top. However, Kewell chose to stick with football, because he found love in it.

Kewell would go to Smithfield Park in Western Sydney every day, juggle the ball all the way, then practice alone, passing the ball against brick walls, dribbling between wooden posts and trying to curve the ball around tree stumps. From there, Kewell developed a unique skill set, with lots of flair, a touch of magic and a spectacular left-footed shot. It was no coincidence that he was dubbed the “Wizard of Oz” during Leeds’ golden years.

Kewell’s greatest strength, though, is his tactical vision. “I’m often told I’m a good reader of the game. I can spot the aspects that will make or break a team. And I’m adaptable so I’m not afraid of physical or possession-based play. I’m comfortable adjusting my style to suit,” Kewell says.

Unfortunately, football fans didn't get to see Kewell's great qualities for too long. His career was constantly interrupted by injuries. Especially when Leeds had to sell talent to solve financial problems, leading to Kewell's move to Liverpool, where he had to undergo 7 surgeries in 6 years at Anfield.

Kewell scored just 16 goals in 139 appearances for Liverpool.

During his six years at Anfield, he underwent seven surgeries.

These misfortunes were of course beyond Kewell’s expectations. As in the 2005 Champions League final, he was unexpectedly selected by coach Rafa Benitez to start. And in the game of his life, as Kewell himself described it, he was suddenly seriously injured and had to leave the field in the first half.

A year later, due to an infected toe, he also missed one of the biggest matches in Australian football history: the match against Italy in the 1/8 round of the 2006 World Cup. Later at Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart, Kewell never recaptured the image of the "Wizard of Oz" from 1996-2003 at Leeds.

Kewell admits that he sometimes asks himself “what ifs”. For example, what ifs would have happened if injuries had not plagued him? But over time, he has learned to accept it. “It hurts, but that’s football. You have to accept the positives and the negatives,” Kewell says.

Kewell once brought Yokohama F. Marinos to the final of the AFC Champions League 2023/24.

So Kewell has also accepted the unexpected. He entered management three years before his 40th birthday, and after a decade as a manager, he has yet to achieve his goal of taking a big club (preferably Liverpool) and reaching the top. Apart from limited success with Watford U21s and Crawley Town, he has only had stints at Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Barnet and Yokohama F. Marinos before being sacked.

However, Kewell's confidence and desire to win never waned, nor did his sharp tactical vision and adaptability.

At the age of 47, the “Wizard of Oz” is ready to embark on a new adventure with Hanoi FC and bring all his experience and extensive knowledge to bring the purple team back to its original position. If successful, this could be the start of a new path to success for Kewell’s future.