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Update on Kewell

duin1

By duin1,
in FF - Football Forum

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duin1 Apprentice

duin1

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SOCCEROO Harry Kewell is set to walk away from his multimillion-dollar boot deal with adidas in favour of a little-known Brisbane product that he hopes will prolong his career.

 

Fresh from foot surgery in Sydney, Kewell will fly back to England this weekend to begin rehabilitation with his Premier League club Liverpool.

He expects to make his comeback towards the end of the 2006-07 season.

 

Kewell confirmed yesterday that he would be wearing custom-made Nomis boots created by local designer Simon Skirrow, who pitched the new boots to him during a visit to Liverpool last year.

 

The 28-year-old midfielder has battled injuries since joining the Reds in 2003.

 

"It was close to the end of last season and obviously I had been having problems with my feet," Kewell said yesterday.

 

"Simon had given the boots to my manager (Bernie Mandic) who gave them to me to train with. The first time I put them on I thought they felt like a pair of slippers.

 

"Obviously there were some things to sort out with adidas which took some time but I've since decided to stick with the new boots."

 

In 2004 he turned down offers from Nike and Reebok and signed the biggest sponsorship deal for an individual in a team sport in Australian history with adidas, which agreed to pay Kewell a percentage of boot sales.

 

It is understood that contract netted him about $2.5 million a year. But that deal is no longer, according to Kewell, who will wear the Nomis boots free.

 

"I have been involved with adidas for around 10 years and have always had a great relationship with them. I count a lot of the people there as my good friends," Kewell said yesterday.

 

"But it's just time for me to think about my feet."

 

Skirrow, who was born in England, has spent the past five years creating the boots – made from kangaroo leather – and admits he was amazed when Kewell offered to wear the boots free.

 

"He was the first one to come and be totally refreshing and say 'it's not about the money, it's about my feet'," Skirrow said.

 

"So many footballers have the mentality of, 'If I'm going to wear a boot, I must be paid for it'."

 

Kewell has been recovering with family and friends in Sydney since an operation on his left foot last month.

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Guest molbyscorchio

Guest molbyscorchio

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No wonder he likes them. Now all he needs is a kit that looks like a dressing gown and a substitue bench that looks like a sofa.

 

:D :D :D :D

 

..and these new boots are made from Kangaroo skin! Too much to hope that he'll have the full back in his pocket rather than the other way around for a change....

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Dundalis Collaborator

Dundalis

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Kewell comeback on track

 

By David Lewis

October 29, 2006

 

AUSTRALIA star Harry Kewell will return to England today convinced that four operations in a month have saved his career.

 

Doctors are confident they have solved the ace midfielder's injury problems with Kewell admitting that without their intervention his career would be over at just 28.

 

With an ice pack on his groin and a significant limp after his most recent operation, Kewell made no bones about the prognosis had he tried to play on.

 

"The surgeons told me if I hadn't gone ahead I would never play again. You don't like to hear those things but sometimes you need a reality check," he said.

 

"You need to know the truth. I'm told it's all been a success and I'm now looking forward to getting back to playing again."

 

Just when that will be is unclear. After nearly eight weeks away from wife Sheree, son Taylor and daughter Ruby, Kewell is relishing returning home and to his continuing rehabilitation at Anfield.

 

The scorer of the goal that carried Australia into the last 16 of the World Cup is not expected to resume training until after Christmas but is adamant he can recapture the the form which once had defenders reaching for the Prozac.

 

"I expect to be as good as I was before, if not better, because I won't have any pain," he said. "It's a long, hard road for me but I'm up for the challenge."

 

Kewell bristles at those who claim he is fooling himself if he believes he can reclaim former glories.

 

"A lot of people say I won't be the same player, even people I know," he acknowledged.

 

"But I know what was wrong with me. I've got that fixed and I don't need to answer to anybody other than my manager (Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez), my club and my country.

 

"People will always take pot-shots at players. It doesn't matter who you are. They can say what they want - I just want to get out and play football."

 

Asked how he came to the brink of being forced into premature retirement, Kewell explained: "Each time I wanted a break and the club wanted to give me a break there were important games coming up. My groin snapped when we won the Champions League (in 2005) but I guarantee that any player would have risked playing in the final like I did.

 

"I had the operation and thought that would be the end of it, then other things flared up.

 

"But there were so many big games, like the World Cup qualifiers (against Uruguay) and then the FA Cup final for Liverpool (in which Kewell broke down again). It wasn't just about me, football's a team game and everybody had to play their part. Then came the World Cup - and I wasn't going to miss that for anything."

 

Kewell conceded it would have been easy for Liverpool to wash their hands of him.

 

"A lot of managers may have got rid of me now and a lot may not have played me in certain games. (Benitez) stuck by me and I'm thankful for that. I want to repay him and the only way is go out and do well for Liverpool.

 

"I have two more years left on my contract and beyond that who knows.

 

"I'd really like to stay on if possible beyond that. Down the track I'd also like to have a go at playing in the A-League."

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