Harry Kewell heading for Liverpool exit

Mar 13 2008
by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo


HARRY KEWELL’S Liverpool career appears to be drawing to a close after he told Rafa Benitez he wants to be allowed to travel to a training camp with a young Australia side rather than work on his fitness at Melwood.
Kewell is keen to join up with an Australia squad featuring just four senior players next week while his Liverpool team-mates are preparing for the visit of Manchester United in the Premier League.
Should Benitez relieve Kewell of his Melwood duties it will be the clearest indication yet that the injury-plagued winger has no future at the club.
Kewell was not in the Liverpool squad which travelled to Milan for Tuesday’s Champions League tie and he has not played for the first team since a fleeting substitute appearance against Barnsley last month.
With his current contract due to expire this summer and with no suggestions that he will be offered a new deal, all indications are that he is now heading towards the Anfield exit door.
The Aussie training camp takes place in Singapore and national team coach Pim Verbeek had resigned himself to working with just a group of young players while the majority of his senior stars remained with their respective clubs.
But with a World Cup qualifier against China in Kunming looming on March 26 – just days before the crucial Merseyside derby – Kewell has told Verbeek he wants to take part in the training camp in a bid to build up his fitness and to be ready for international duty.
The decision about whether he is allowed to travel to the Far East now rests with Benitez and should he give Kewell the go-ahead, it will be the clearest signal yet that his five-year stint with the Reds will not be extended.