MARK Bosnich presented a Harry Kewell special on Fox Sports last week from those halcyon days at Leeds United.
It included some Mark Viduka cameos, that stunning winner at Highbury to keep Leeds United up in 2003 and hand the title to man United -- Kewell opened the scoring in the same game with a scorcher.
Australian soccer's two greatest products, from the same generation and while their exits are proving eerily similar they could not be more contrasting.
While there was no official announcement or testimonial for Viduka, he quietly faded into the sunset of the Croatian summer coastline at ease with his decision.
Kewell too is on the other side of the world, clearly in two minds about his future.
He looks like he wants to continue, sounds like he wants to continue but has been club-less for eight months.
Viduka, whose last club was Newcastle United, was courted by West Ham, given a tour of Fulham's training ground by Roy Hodgson and handed an attractive offer from Melbourne Heart.
Kewell was turned away for a trial by Stoke City, couldn't find a deal in England's first or second tier and was used as a cheap PR by Perth Glory owner Tony Sage.
Ironic when considering James Erskine was meant to transform Harry's image as he did so successfully with Shane Warne.
A key point was overlooked during their fleeting relationship -- Kewell was a footballer without a club.
It was this week confirmed that Kewell and Erskine had split, although in the agent's defence they had unofficially severed ties before the Glory gaffe.
It looms as a sad and embarrassing ending for arguably Australia's most decorated player.
Arguably is the key term, because Kewell has polarised opinion like no other. What's not in question is his profile. While Viduka went about his business quietly, preferring to steer clear of the limelight Kewell's image was carefully crafted by his then agent Bernie Mandic.
Viduka is understood to have at one stage hired a London-based PR agency to lift his profile, but that relationship barely lasted a few months.
It just wasn't him.
"I have this complex. I don't like too much exposure. I don't know why it is. Maybe it's bred in me, because my dad always told me to be humble and don't think you're too good," Viduka told the Herald Sun in February 2011, one of his last interviews.
"I had plenty of offers to do sponsorships and TV commercials, but it's just not in me. I would love to get that out of me, but I just don't feel comfortable with it."
Contrast that to Kewell, who was interviewed last week while back in Australia doing his latest fashion shoot with clothing label Politix.
So how has Kewell, voted Greatest Ever Australian Footballer last year (votes were split 50-50 by a Johnny Warren Football Foundation-appointed panel of judges and public votes), become persona non grata with A-League clubs?
Newcastle Jets last week confirmed interest in signing Kewell, with his former Leeds teammate Michael Bridges acting as the conduit.
Aside from that he's had the embarrassing Glory episode, Melbourne Heart flirted with the idea of signing him while even home-town side Western Sydney Wanderers gave him a wide berth.
Victory is still recovering from its fleeting union with Kewell, which resulted in the most turbulent -- and high-profile -- season in the club's short history.
Coach Ange Postecoglou, like most, is loath to discuss Kewell on the record but was seething with the attacker's decision to quit when he'd signaled his intentions to stay.
Had Kewell known what would unfold, one wonders whether he would've made a different call?
So confident was Postecoglou his unique gameplan was designed between April and June with the Socceroo in mind.
"I was under the presumption that Harry would be here," Postecoglou said last October.
"He was a player who I thought could fit into a system like that and we could start building around that sort of premise."
Undoubtedly Kewell's next move will determine his true legacy.
He will win awards, give out medals and deliver speeches, but whether it's a standing ovation or a customary round of applause will be determined between now and Brazil 2014.
Heart coach John Aloisi is one of the few A-League coaches to have had a direct face-to-face chat with Kewell regarding his future and while he continually says he wants to play on until Brazil and even the 2015 Asian Cup, the Heart camp didn't see that glint in his eye that had made him so resilient and successful.
If his hunger has waned, there is every chance Perth Glory fans saw Kewell play his last competitive game in April last year -- a 4-2 loss for Victory where Kewell and then coach Jim Magilton were spotted on Fox's cameras having a fiery half-time debate.
Perhaps there is an apprehension about life after football for Kewell.
There is certainly interest -- any number of clubs all over the world would take Kewell on a trial, a handful may be prepared to sign him off the bat.
No doubt he could go to Asia but his best move would be the A-League.
Harry been described as Australia's David Beckham and he could do worse than take a leaf from the Beckham book by signing for a club and donating his wages to charity for he has plenty of ground to make up with the Australian public.
A move to a rival A-League club won't be popular with Victory fans, many of whom still wear his number 22 from last season but the Wanderers -- a short hop and a skip from his hometown of Smithfield -- would be his best bet.
Whether Tony Popovic would sign him is another question.
Coaches will know Kewell has plenty of motivation leading into a World Cup year, but he may have to swallow his pride and trial for he's no longer the marquee that signed for Victory in such fanfare in August 2011.
Kewell's indecision, like Viduka's, at the twilight of his career is intriguing.
There was nothing straightforward about the exit of Viduka, who last played for the Socceroos at the shambolic 2007 Asian Cup.
On the eve of the 2010 World Cup, Viduka's best mate Josip Skoko said he might have played in South Africa if he'd been chased.
"If he was playing for the whole year in the A-League, I'm sure he could have done a lot for the country in this World Cup. I know he was keen to play in another World Cup but it didn't pan out," Skoko said.
"I think he's so important that perhaps more could have been done (for him to stay on and play). No doubt about it, you had to pull out all the stops."
Kewell said this last week:
"Obviously to be considered for the Socceroos again I need to get a club. I would move back to Australia again, definitely," Kewell said.
"I would consider any offer. I'm open to all suggestions. I feel like I still have a few good seasons left. But whatever the decision is it has to be the right one for me and my family."
While Kewell had the world clamouring for his services when he joined Liverpool in 2003, a decade on the contrast could not be starker.
That was also the last time Viduka and Kewell played their club football together.
It included some Mark Viduka cameos, that stunning winner at Highbury to keep Leeds United up in 2003 and hand the title to man United -- Kewell opened the scoring in the same game with a scorcher.
Australian soccer's two greatest products, from the same generation and while their exits are proving eerily similar they could not be more contrasting.
While there was no official announcement or testimonial for Viduka, he quietly faded into the sunset of the Croatian summer coastline at ease with his decision.
Kewell too is on the other side of the world, clearly in two minds about his future.
He looks like he wants to continue, sounds like he wants to continue but has been club-less for eight months.
Viduka, whose last club was Newcastle United, was courted by West Ham, given a tour of Fulham's training ground by Roy Hodgson and handed an attractive offer from Melbourne Heart.
Kewell was turned away for a trial by Stoke City, couldn't find a deal in England's first or second tier and was used as a cheap PR by Perth Glory owner Tony Sage.
Ironic when considering James Erskine was meant to transform Harry's image as he did so successfully with Shane Warne.
A key point was overlooked during their fleeting relationship -- Kewell was a footballer without a club.
It was this week confirmed that Kewell and Erskine had split, although in the agent's defence they had unofficially severed ties before the Glory gaffe.
It looms as a sad and embarrassing ending for arguably Australia's most decorated player.
Arguably is the key term, because Kewell has polarised opinion like no other. What's not in question is his profile. While Viduka went about his business quietly, preferring to steer clear of the limelight Kewell's image was carefully crafted by his then agent Bernie Mandic.
Viduka is understood to have at one stage hired a London-based PR agency to lift his profile, but that relationship barely lasted a few months.
It just wasn't him.
"I have this complex. I don't like too much exposure. I don't know why it is. Maybe it's bred in me, because my dad always told me to be humble and don't think you're too good," Viduka told the Herald Sun in February 2011, one of his last interviews.
"I had plenty of offers to do sponsorships and TV commercials, but it's just not in me. I would love to get that out of me, but I just don't feel comfortable with it."
Contrast that to Kewell, who was interviewed last week while back in Australia doing his latest fashion shoot with clothing label Politix.
So how has Kewell, voted Greatest Ever Australian Footballer last year (votes were split 50-50 by a Johnny Warren Football Foundation-appointed panel of judges and public votes), become persona non grata with A-League clubs?
Newcastle Jets last week confirmed interest in signing Kewell, with his former Leeds teammate Michael Bridges acting as the conduit.
Aside from that he's had the embarrassing Glory episode, Melbourne Heart flirted with the idea of signing him while even home-town side Western Sydney Wanderers gave him a wide berth.
Victory is still recovering from its fleeting union with Kewell, which resulted in the most turbulent -- and high-profile -- season in the club's short history.
Coach Ange Postecoglou, like most, is loath to discuss Kewell on the record but was seething with the attacker's decision to quit when he'd signaled his intentions to stay.
Had Kewell known what would unfold, one wonders whether he would've made a different call?
So confident was Postecoglou his unique gameplan was designed between April and June with the Socceroo in mind.
"I was under the presumption that Harry would be here," Postecoglou said last October.
"He was a player who I thought could fit into a system like that and we could start building around that sort of premise."
Undoubtedly Kewell's next move will determine his true legacy.
He will win awards, give out medals and deliver speeches, but whether it's a standing ovation or a customary round of applause will be determined between now and Brazil 2014.
Heart coach John Aloisi is one of the few A-League coaches to have had a direct face-to-face chat with Kewell regarding his future and while he continually says he wants to play on until Brazil and even the 2015 Asian Cup, the Heart camp didn't see that glint in his eye that had made him so resilient and successful.
If his hunger has waned, there is every chance Perth Glory fans saw Kewell play his last competitive game in April last year -- a 4-2 loss for Victory where Kewell and then coach Jim Magilton were spotted on Fox's cameras having a fiery half-time debate.
Perhaps there is an apprehension about life after football for Kewell.
There is certainly interest -- any number of clubs all over the world would take Kewell on a trial, a handful may be prepared to sign him off the bat.
No doubt he could go to Asia but his best move would be the A-League.
Harry been described as Australia's David Beckham and he could do worse than take a leaf from the Beckham book by signing for a club and donating his wages to charity for he has plenty of ground to make up with the Australian public.
A move to a rival A-League club won't be popular with Victory fans, many of whom still wear his number 22 from last season but the Wanderers -- a short hop and a skip from his hometown of Smithfield -- would be his best bet.
Whether Tony Popovic would sign him is another question.
Coaches will know Kewell has plenty of motivation leading into a World Cup year, but he may have to swallow his pride and trial for he's no longer the marquee that signed for Victory in such fanfare in August 2011.
Kewell's indecision, like Viduka's, at the twilight of his career is intriguing.
There was nothing straightforward about the exit of Viduka, who last played for the Socceroos at the shambolic 2007 Asian Cup.
On the eve of the 2010 World Cup, Viduka's best mate Josip Skoko said he might have played in South Africa if he'd been chased.
"If he was playing for the whole year in the A-League, I'm sure he could have done a lot for the country in this World Cup. I know he was keen to play in another World Cup but it didn't pan out," Skoko said.
"I think he's so important that perhaps more could have been done (for him to stay on and play). No doubt about it, you had to pull out all the stops."
Kewell said this last week:
"Obviously to be considered for the Socceroos again I need to get a club. I would move back to Australia again, definitely," Kewell said.
"I would consider any offer. I'm open to all suggestions. I feel like I still have a few good seasons left. But whatever the decision is it has to be the right one for me and my family."
While Kewell had the world clamouring for his services when he joined Liverpool in 2003, a decade on the contrast could not be starker.
That was also the last time Viduka and Kewell played their club football together.
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