By Myles Palmer
HARRY KEWELL will become a big star next season.
His quicksilver style means that he will blend with Pires and Henry.
He is one of the few forwards in the Premiership with the skills and acceleration to fit into Arsenal’s fast-raiding,left-dominated attack.
And, unlike Pires, Ljungberg, Henry and Bergkamp,Harry is LEFT-FOOTED.
That will give Arsenal the balance they need.
So it’s a great deal.
He is 24 and wants to win trophies and wants to play in the Champions league again.
Look at it from Harry’s point of view : I’m an Australian who has been away from home for eight years.
I left my family at 16 to play football in England.
I’ve been at Leeds a long time. I was there when Yeboah was the main man and Howard Wilkinson was the manager.
I made my debut in March 1996 and Leeds finished 13th that season.
I’m a quiet lad, I missed my family, but I now have two kids with Sheree, my actress girlfriend.
My in-laws are Arsenal season ticket-holders.
I’m leaving a badly-run club to join a well-run-club, so I will be much happier now.
With their squad, Leeds should have been challenging Everton and Southampton, at least, not dropping into the relegation zone.
The Bowyer-Woodgate court case traumatised Leeds and the club will take another three years to recover from the Ridsdale-O’Leary bungles.
Danny Mills became Ridsdale’s mouthpiece, but Leeds had no real spirit, so Venables was sacked and replaced by a new manager, Peter Reid.
In the meantime, Harry doesn’t fancy working for Peter Reid.
Harry has never been a drinker or a clubber.
He wants to train and play games and score goals – and then go home to his family.
Where Harry got lucky was when Venables said, “You’re my main man.”
Tel showcased him in the team as a half-striker, not a left winger.
That put Harry in a position where Wenger wanted him to replace Bergkamp, and Fergie wanted him to partner RVN.
That’s why Arsene didn’t comment on Harry’s significant handball at Highbury. AW does not slag off a player he wants to sign.
So there you have it: Harry Kewell is a quiet lad, but a helluva player.
He will love training with Arsenal, playing for an exciting team, and being in a harmonious dressing room with no thugs.
Being left-footed, Harry can be a fox in the box, converting Henry’s near-post passes.
Harry can also score one-on-ones, dribble round keepers, and smash shots into the top corner from 25 yards.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS BEFORE HE SIGNS?
To save myself the trouble of writing it next week, when I will be busy doing something else.
25th June 2003.
PS
Have you got into summer sports yet?
I haven’t, but there’s still time.
Today I might have to choose between watching Greg Rusedski on BBC1 and watching Alistair Campbell tell the truth about his dodgy WMD dossier on BBC News 24.
I’m gonna watch News 24 at 3 o’clock.
It’s not every day you get to see Alistair Campbell tell the truth.