Harry Kewell facts for kids
Kewell in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 September 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left winger, attacking midfielder, second striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Smithfield Hotspurs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | Club Marconi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Leeds United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | Leeds United | 181 | (45) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Liverpool | 93 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Galatasaray | 63 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Melbourne Victory | 25 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Al-Gharafa | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Melbourne Heart | 16 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 381 | (90) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Australia U17 | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Australia U20 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2012 | Australia | 58 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Crawley Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Notts County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Oldham Athletic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Barnet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Yokohama F. Marinos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is a famous Australian soccer coach, manager, and former player. He recently managed Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.
As a player, Harry Kewell played for big clubs like Leeds United, Liverpool, and Galatasaray. He was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2000 while at Leeds. For his country, he played 58 games for Australia and scored 17 goals. He played as a left winger, but could also be an attacking midfielder or second striker. Many people call him "Australia's finest soccer export," even though he had many injuries. In 2012, Australian fans, players, and media voted him Australia's greatest soccer player.
Kewell scored a key goal against Croatia in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This goal helped Australia reach the knockout stages for the first time. He is also the only Australian player to have played in a UEFA Champions League final, winning it with Liverpool in 2005.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Soccer
Harry Kewell was born in Sydney, Australia, on 22 September 1978. His dad was English, and his mum was Australian. Growing up, Harry was a big fan of Liverpool in England.
He went to Smithfield Public School and then St. Johns Park High School. Later, he moved to Westfield Sports High School, which is known for sports. Before he was a teenager, he played junior soccer for Smithfield Hotspurs. He then joined Marconi Fairfield as a teenager.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Europe (1993)
When Harry was 14, he traveled to Thailand, Italy, and England with his Marconi team. They played against junior teams from big clubs like Milan. This trip gave him his first taste of European soccer.
At 15, Kewell got a chance to try out for Premiership club Leeds United in England. He went with his future Australian teammate Brett Emerton. Both did well, but only Kewell could join Leeds because his father's English background helped with visa rules.
Time at Leeds United (1993–2003)
Harry Kewell played for the Leeds United youth team for three seasons. He played his first game for the main team at 17 in March 1996. In 1997, he helped the Leeds youth team win the FA Youth Cup. His first goal for Leeds came in October 1997.
Kewell became one of Leeds's young stars, often playing on the left side of midfield or in attack. He played alongside fellow Australian Mark Viduka. In the 1999–2000 season, he had his best year at Leeds. He won PFA Young Player of the Year and was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year.
Leeds even turned down a huge offer of £25 million from Internazionale for him. Kewell helped Leeds reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2000–01. However, the club started having money problems and sold many top players. Kewell scored 45 goals in over 180 games for Leeds over eight years.
Playing for Liverpool (2003–2008)
Kewell joined Liverpool, the club he supported as a boy, in 2003. He turned down offers from other big clubs like Milan and Chelsea. He was given the famous number seven shirt.
He made his debut for Liverpool in August 2003. His first goal for the club was in a 3–0 win against rivals Everton. In his first season, he scored ten goals for Liverpool.
On 25 May 2005, Kewell made history. He became the first Australian-born player to win a major UEFA competition. He was part of Liverpool's team that won the 2005 UEFA Champions League final against Milan. He had to leave the game early due to an injury.
After recovering from injuries, Kewell showed his true skills in the 2005–06 FA Premier League season. He scored important goals, including winners against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. He also played in the 2006 FA Cup Final, which Liverpool won.
Kewell returned to play for Liverpool in May 2007 after a long injury break. He even scored his last goal for the club in a match against Charlton Athletic. He played in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final again, but Liverpool lost to Milan. Due to ongoing injuries, Liverpool did not offer him a new contract in May 2008.
Moving to Galatasaray (2008–2011)
On 5 July 2008, Harry Kewell signed a two-year contract with Turkish champions Galatasaray. He chose the number 19 shirt as a sign of respect for Leeds, where he first became a regular player.
He made a great start for Galatasaray, scoring his first goal just 20 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the Turkish Super Cup. Galatasaray won that match 2–1. He continued to score important goals in the league and in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup.
In the 2009–10 season, Kewell scored 14 goals in 28 games. He often played as the main striker. He also scored in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. In January, his Australian teammate Lucas Neill joined him at Galatasaray.
Kewell was very popular with Galatasaray fans. They called him "Harry the Wizard" or the "Wizard of Oz" because of his skills.
Playing in Australia (2011–2014)
On 20 August 2011, Kewell signed a three-year deal with Australian club Melbourne Victory. Many fans were excited, and hundreds welcomed him at the airport. He made his first appearance in the 2011–12 A-League season in October 2011. He scored his first goal for the Victory from a penalty in November.
He scored several more goals, including two in one game against Brisbane Roar. After his first season, he left the club to be closer to his family in Europe.
In April 2013, Kewell briefly played for Al-Gharafa in Qatar, scoring one goal in three games.
In June 2013, he returned to Australia to play for Melbourne Heart for the 2013–14 A-League season. He faced some injuries during this time. On 26 March 2014, Harry Kewell announced he would retire from professional soccer at the end of the A-League season. His last match was on 12 April 2014.
In 2016, Harry Kewell received the Alex Tobin Medal. This is Australia's highest soccer honor, given for his great career achievements.
International Career for Australia
Harry Kewell was one of the youngest players ever to play for the Australia national team. He made his debut against Chile in April 1996, when he was just 17 years old.
1998 World Cup Qualifiers
In November 1997, Kewell played for Australia in a World Cup qualifying match against Iran. He scored his first goal for Australia in Tehran, giving them a 1–0 lead. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. In the return game in Melbourne, Kewell scored again, but Iran fought back to draw 2–2. This meant Australia missed out on the 1998 World Cup.
1997 Confederations Cup
A few months later, Kewell helped Australia in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a "golden goal" in extra time against Uruguay in the semi-final, giving Australia a 1–0 win. Australia then played Brazil in the final, losing 6–0.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Qualifying for the World Cup
On 16 November 2005, Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by beating Uruguay. This was the first time Australia had reached the World Cup since 1974. Kewell was very important in this win. He came on as a substitute and helped set up the equalizer. He also scored the first penalty in the deciding penalty shootout, which Australia won 4–2.
Playing in the World Cup Finals
Kewell played in Australia's first game of the 2006 World Cup against Japan. In the crucial game against Croatia, Kewell scored Australia's second goal in the 79th minute. This goal made the score 2–2 and allowed Australia to qualify for the round of 16 for the first time ever! He was also named Man of the Match for his performance. Unfortunately, Kewell couldn't play against Italy in the next stage due to a foot infection. Australia lost 1–0 and was knocked out.
2007 AFC Asian Cup
Kewell returned to the national team in June 2007 for a friendly against Singapore. He scored a goal and helped Australia win 3–0. He was a key player for Australia in their first Asian Cup. He scored his ninth international goal in a 4–0 win over Thailand. In the quarter-final against Japan, Australia lost in a penalty shootout.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Qualifying for the World Cup
Kewell was made captain for Australia's qualifier against Iraq in June 2008. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win. He also scored against Qatar and the Netherlands in warm-up games. He scored another penalty against Uzbekistan as Australia qualified for the 2010 World Cup.
Playing in the World Cup Finals
In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Kewell was sent off in the match against Ghana for handling the ball on the goal line. This was a tough moment for him and the team. The game ended 1–1, which hurt Australia's chances of moving on. Kewell said he was "devastated" by the decision.
2011 AFC Asian Cup
Kewell played in all of Australia's matches in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He scored three goals in the tournament. His first goal was against India. His second goal was a header in extra time against Iraq, which gave Australia a 1–0 win and put them into the semi-finals. He scored again in the semi-final against Uzbekistan, helping Australia win 6–0 and reach the final. Australia lost the final 1–0 to Japan.
Final International Games (2012)
In February 2012, Kewell scored his last goal for Australia in a 4–2 win over Saudi Arabia. His final game for Australia was a 0–0 draw against Oman on 8 June 2012.
Management Career
After retiring as a player, Harry Kewell started coaching. He worked with young players at his academy in Australia. In 2015, he earned his coaching licenses.
Coaching in England
On 23 July 2015, Kewell became the head coach of the Watford Under-21 team. In May 2017, he was appointed head coach of League Two club Crawley Town. This made him the first Australian to coach a professional English team. He guided Crawley Town to a 14th place finish in the league.
He then managed Notts County in 2018, but left after a short time. In August 2020, Kewell became manager of Oldham Athletic. He stayed there until March 2021. In June 2021, he took over at Barnet in the National League, but his time there was also brief.
Coaching in Scotland and Japan
In June 2022, Kewell joined Scottish Premiership champions Celtic as a first-team coach. He worked under fellow Australian manager Ange Postecoglou.
On 31 December 2023, Kewell was announced as the head coach of Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan. He led the club to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League final, where they lost to Al-Ain FC. He was sacked in July 2024.
Personal Life
Harry Kewell was born in Smithfield, Sydney. He is married to English actress Sheree Murphy. They met in Leeds in 2000 and got married in Las Vegas in 2002. They have four children.
Kewell has also been involved in fashion, becoming the face of an Australian men's brand. He supports the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs rugby league team in Australia.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leeds United | 1995–96 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1996–97 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 1997–98 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 8 | ||||
| 1998–99 | 38 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 49 | 9 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 36 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 5 | — | 53 | 17 | |||
| 2000–01 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2001–02 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 35 | 11 | |||
| 2002–03 | 31 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 41 | 16 | |||
| Total | 181 | 45 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 8 | — | 242 | 63 | |||
| Liverpool | 2003–04 | Premier League | 36 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | — | 49 | 11 | |
| 2004–05 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | |||
| 2005–06 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2006–07 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2007–08 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 93 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 139 | 16 | ||
| Galatasaray | 2008–09 | Süper Lig | 26 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 13 | |
| 2009–10 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | 9 | 4 | — | 28 | 14 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 26 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 63 | 22 | 6 | 1 | — | 21 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 91 | 34 | |||
| Melbourne Victory | 2011–12 | A-League | 25 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 8 | ||||
| Al-Gharafa | 2012–13 | QSL | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Melbourne Heart | 2013–14 | A-League | 16 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||||
| Career total | 381 | 90 | 32 | 7 | 13 | 5 | 88 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 516 | 124 | ||
International
- Source:
| Australia | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 6 | 3 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 3 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | 3 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 | 4 | 1 |
| 2007 | 6 | 2 |
| 2008 | 9 | 3 |
| 2009 | 7 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 58 | 17 |
- Source:
| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 November 1997 | Tehran, Iran |  Iran |
1–1 | Draw | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 29 November 1997 | Melbourne, Australia | Iran |
2–2 | Draw | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 19 December 1997 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Uruguay |
1–0 | Win | 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 4. | 12 February 2003 | London, England |  England |
3–1 | Win | Friendly |
| 5. | 7 September 2003 | Reading, England |  Jamaica |
2–1 | Win | Friendly |
| 6. | 12 October 2004 | Sydney |  Solomon Islands |
6–0 | Win | 2004 OFC Nations Cup |
| 7. | 22 June 2006 | Stuttgart, Germany |  Croatia |
2–2 | Draw | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 8. | 30 June 2007 | Kallang, Singapore |  Singapore |
3–0 | Win | Friendly |
| 9. | 16 July 2007 | Bangkok, Thailand |  Thailand |
4–0 | Win | 2007 AFC Asian Cup |
| 10. | 1 June 2008 | Brisbane, Australia |  Iraq |
1–0 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11. | 15 June 2008 | Doha, Qatar |  Qatar |
3–1 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12. | 6 September 2008 | Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Netherlands |
2–1 | Win | Friendly |
| 13. | 1 April 2009 | Sydney, Australia |  Uzbekistan |
2–0 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14. | 11 January 2011 | Doha, Qatar |  India |
4–0 | Win | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 15. | 22 January 2011 | Doha, Qatar | Iraq |
1–0 | Win | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 16. | 25 January 2011 | Doha, Qatar | Uzbekistan |
6–0 | Win | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 17. | 29 February 2012 | Melbourne, Australia |  Saudi Arabia |
4–2 | Win | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Crawley Town | 23 May 2017 | 31 August 2018 | 57 | 18 | 12 | 27 | 31.58 | |
| Notts County | 31 August 2018 | 13 November 2018 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 20.00 | |
| Oldham Athletic | 1 August 2020 | 7 March 2021 | 41 | 17 | 6 | 18 | 41.46 | |
| Barnet | 10 June 2021 | 20 September 2021 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0.00 | |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 31 December 2023 | 15 July 2024 | 33 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 39.39 | |
| Total | 153 | 51 | 32 | 70 | 33.33 | |||
Honours and Awards
Player Achievements
Leeds United Youth
- FA Youth Cup: 1996–97
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05; runner-up: 2006–07
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2004–05
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2005
Galatasaray
- Turkish Super Cup: 2008
Australia Youth Teams
- OFC U-17 Championship: 1995 (with Australia U17)
- OFC U-20 Championship: 1997 (with Australia U20)
Australia National Team
- OFC Nations Cup: 2004
- AFC Asian Cup: runner-up 2011
- FIFA Confederations Cup: runner-up 1997
Individual Awards
- Oceania Footballer of the Year: 1999, 2001, 2003
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1999–2000
- PFA Team of the Year: 1999–2000 Premier League
- AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2007
- AFC Asian Cup Quality Player: 2011
- FIFA World Cup Man of the Match: 2006 vs Croatia (Group Stage)
- Leeds United Player of the Year: 1999–2000
- Australia's Greatest Ever Footballer: 2012
- Australia's Greatest Ever Team: 2012
- Asian Football Hall of Fame: 2014
- PFA Alex Tobin OAM Medal: 2016
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame: 2018
- Football Australia Hall of Fame: 2019
Manager Achievements
Yokohama F. Marinos
- AFC Champions League: runner-up 2023–24
See also
In Spanish: Harry Kewell para niños
