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A look back on Harry Kewell’s curious five years at Anfield
When Leeds United was hosting a firesale in 2003, Europe’s most historic and prestigious clubs began to circle around Harry Kewell. Indeed, Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, and of course Liverpool all met Leeds’ utterly ridiculous asking price of £5 million for the wonderfully talented left-winger.
As a boyhood Liverpool fan, Kewell was desperate to move to Anfield and turned down bigger wages from other interested clubs in order to make his dream a reality. That lifelong goal of playing for the club he grew up supporting was then realized on the ninth of July 2003 after Rafa Benitez brought him to Liverpool.
It would turn out to be a rip-roaring start for Kewell after scoring his first goal for the club against Everton during his debut Merseyside derby. There aren’t many better ways to endear yourself to the Liverpool faithful than getting off the mark at Goodison Park and as things would go, Kewell would enjoy a barnstorming start to life at the club after registering as many as eight goals by the start of December.
However, the first of his infamous injuries took place only a few weeks afterwards and the Australian would only net three more goals during that campaign. It would be the beginning of the end for Kewell despite having four years left to run on his Anfield deal and in fact, Kewell would score just five more goals over the next four years for Liverpool which, for an attacking player of his quality, is quite astonishing and even shocking.
In many ways, these numbers do tell a story about Kewell’s inability to stay fit whilst playing for the Reds but simultaneously, there were also questions asked about his desire to play for the club. Indeed, many questioned whether he had the stomach to play for a club of Liverpool’s size and used the Miracle in Istanbul as an example.
Indeed, Benitez had decided to start Kewell upfront in that famous 2005 Champions League final at the expense of defensive midfielder Dietmar Hamman. However, AC Milan would take the lead after just 60seconds when Paolo Maldini volleyed in an Andrea Pirlo set piece.
It was one-way traffic with Liverpool’s goal under an unbearable siege but after 23 minutes, Kewell indicated to the bench that he had to come off. In addition to that, Liverpool would end the first half 3-0 down and seemingly have no chance of getting back in the game. At least, if we were to use today’s in-play betting markets for Champions League games as a comparison, punters would have seen the Reds at odds of 100/1 to win during halftime. In fact, some bookies even priced Benitez's men as high as 180/1 to win. By now, you can probably get why some Liverpool fans pointed the finger at Kewell by claiming that he gave up when his team needed him most.
As fate would have it, the man whose number seven Kewell insisted on taking in 2003 when he signed came on for him. Vladimír Šmicer became an instant cult hero as Liverpool pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, let alone football.
Kewell celebrated the win on the pitch with his teammates afterwards but you can imagine that it was a somewhat hollow experience.
That night in Istanbul summed up Harry Kewell’s curious Liverpool career with people ultimately left wondering what could have been. Unsurprisingly, the Reds chose not to extend the Australian's contract when it came to an end in 2008 and instead, did not stand in his way when he moved to Galatasaray and returned to the city of that fateful night in 2005 to pick up the pieces of his career.
As a boyhood Liverpool fan, Kewell was desperate to move to Anfield and turned down bigger wages from other interested clubs in order to make his dream a reality. That lifelong goal of playing for the club he grew up supporting was then realized on the ninth of July 2003 after Rafa Benitez brought him to Liverpool.
It would turn out to be a rip-roaring start for Kewell after scoring his first goal for the club against Everton during his debut Merseyside derby. There aren’t many better ways to endear yourself to the Liverpool faithful than getting off the mark at Goodison Park and as things would go, Kewell would enjoy a barnstorming start to life at the club after registering as many as eight goals by the start of December.
Harry, Harry Kewell 🎶
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 11, 2021
A wonderful curling shot at Elland Road back in 2004 😍⚽ pic.twitter.com/PG6qnZjHoe
However, the first of his infamous injuries took place only a few weeks afterwards and the Australian would only net three more goals during that campaign. It would be the beginning of the end for Kewell despite having four years left to run on his Anfield deal and in fact, Kewell would score just five more goals over the next four years for Liverpool which, for an attacking player of his quality, is quite astonishing and even shocking.
In many ways, these numbers do tell a story about Kewell’s inability to stay fit whilst playing for the Reds but simultaneously, there were also questions asked about his desire to play for the club. Indeed, many questioned whether he had the stomach to play for a club of Liverpool’s size and used the Miracle in Istanbul as an example.
Harry Kewell says he was reduced to tears by life at @LFC https://t.co/F4CLSeWzVJ pic.twitter.com/I2PKF7MT5S
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) December 9, 2016
Indeed, Benitez had decided to start Kewell upfront in that famous 2005 Champions League final at the expense of defensive midfielder Dietmar Hamman. However, AC Milan would take the lead after just 60seconds when Paolo Maldini volleyed in an Andrea Pirlo set piece.
It was one-way traffic with Liverpool’s goal under an unbearable siege but after 23 minutes, Kewell indicated to the bench that he had to come off. In addition to that, Liverpool would end the first half 3-0 down and seemingly have no chance of getting back in the game. At least, if we were to use today’s in-play betting markets for Champions League games as a comparison, punters would have seen the Reds at odds of 100/1 to win during halftime. In fact, some bookies even priced Benitez's men as high as 180/1 to win. By now, you can probably get why some Liverpool fans pointed the finger at Kewell by claiming that he gave up when his team needed him most.
As fate would have it, the man whose number seven Kewell insisted on taking in 2003 when he signed came on for him. Vladimír Šmicer became an instant cult hero as Liverpool pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, let alone football.
"Hit by Smicer, IT'S IN! IT'S IN! VLADIMIR SMICER!"
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) June 13, 2017
Vladimir Smicer left #LFC twelve years ago today 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RGyp9OHfC0
Kewell celebrated the win on the pitch with his teammates afterwards but you can imagine that it was a somewhat hollow experience.
That night in Istanbul summed up Harry Kewell’s curious Liverpool career with people ultimately left wondering what could have been. Unsurprisingly, the Reds chose not to extend the Australian's contract when it came to an end in 2008 and instead, did not stand in his way when he moved to Galatasaray and returned to the city of that fateful night in 2005 to pick up the pieces of his career.
Written by Alan Spencer
