Shopping around ... Harry Kewell wants to keep playing. Source: News Limited
As Sydney FC announce they're opening talks with Alessandro Del Piero about re-signing, one of Australia's leading player agents has endorsed Harry Kewell's latest attempt to return to the A-League.
Lou Sticca, who helped bring the likes of Dwight Yorke and Del Piero to Sydney and Shinji Ono to Western Sydney Wanderers, is adamant Kewell still has plenty to offer, not only at club level but with the Socceroos on the road to qualifying for the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014.
His comments came following a report on the Worldgame website that the former Leeds United, Liverpool and Galatasaray star held a secret meeting with Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop earlier this month.
Kewell, who was in Australia to attend a pro-am golf event on the Gold Coast, reportedly tried to enlist the help of the head body to secure a contract with one of the 10 clubs in the national competition.
While Gallop gave the 34-year-old a good hearing, an FFA spokesman said "the message was that while it would be great to see him back in Australia playing again, it's really down to the clubs to make that a reality and not the FFA".
Sticca said the A-League clubs should not turn their back on Kewell.
"You don't know what to believe in terms of whether he really wants to come back," Sticca said. "But leaving aside everyone's opinion, the reality is that Harry last season, once he settled down, showed he could still be a very valuable member of an A-League team.
"He is a very determined man and if his family situation has improved enough for him to come back to Australia I think there would be a number of clubs genuinely interested in him.
"If he is prepared to fall within a roster and the salary cap then I can't see any problems."
Kewell played with Melbourne Victory last season and, after a slow start, came into his own towards the end.
He was forced to quit the club after a relative of his wife fell ill in England.
He has not played for more than six months and some clubs are baulking at taking him on so late in the season.
Melbourne Heart chief executive Scott Munn was one who suggested the lack of match fitness would be against him.
"Signing players is left to our coach, John Aloisi," Munn said yesterday. "The issue, however, is that there are only 15 or 16 games to go. By the time Harry came out and got himself match fit, the season would be all but over.
"It would be a risk."
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