Kewell scores in Qatar, Roos next?

Back in the game ... Kewell netted his first goal in Qatar. Source: Mohammed Mahjoub / AFP

His international career looked dead and buried, but Harry Kewell could be on the verge of miraculously ending his 12-month Socceroos exile.

The 34-year-old was without a club for nine months after quitting Melbourne Victory but now is firing in Qatar and ready to play a role in Australia's three World Cup qualifiers next month, according to Al Gharafa and Socceroos teammate Mark Bresciano.

Do you want to see Kewell back in the Socceroos squad?

And Bresciano took a veiled swipe at Socceroos coach Holger Osieck after he was benched for the last qualifier against Oman, as he prepares to play his first game since.

Bresciano has declared himself fit for Al Gharafa's Asian Champions League clash against Al Shabab on May 14 after six weeks on the sidelines with a strained medial knee ligament and bruised foot bone.

Kewell is ineligible to play in the Champions League, but yesterday made his fourth appearance -- and scored -- for the Qatari club since signing in early April, in their Prince Cup penalty shootout loss to Al Kharitiyath.

The Socceroos face Japan in Saitama on June 4 before hosting Jordan (Etihad Stadium on June 11) and Iraq (Sydney on June 18).

Kewell's last Socceroos appearance was June 8 last year in the scoreless draw away to Oman, but Bresciano hinted his World Cup teammate was ready to answer Australia's SOS.

"Why not? If he's back playing and looking good," Bresciano said.

"I didn't see all of his sessions, I was away doing rehab but I've been back for a week and he seems like the Harry of old. Not much has changed."

It remains to be seen whether Osieck leans towards youth or experience in the three games that may decide his coaching fate.

The Socceroos produced a poor performance against Oman in March, being 2-0 down before drawing 2-2.

Bresciano started on the bench as Osieck opted for a defensive midfield pairing of Mile Jedinak and James Holland, and he's still seething.

"I still haven't digested that last game. Sometimes you've got to bite your tongue and I think my tongue fell off how hard I bit it," he said.

"I felt I was in good condition, playing regularly and was there training for a week and felt I could have played. Any player wants to play."

Bresciano came on but lasted only 23 minutes before he was injured.

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Are Jets viable option for Kewell?

Harry Kewell ... could he partner Emile Heskey in Newcastle's attack next season? Source: GREG WOOD / AAP

Could Harry Kewell resurrect his career with the Newcastle Jets? In the wake of Ryan Griffiths's decision to head to China, there could certainly is an opportunity.

Griffiths, who was signed until the end of the 2014-2015 season, stunned the Jets on Tuesday by announcing his immediate departure for China to link up with Beijing Baxy. With five games remaining and their finals hopes hanging by a thread, the Jets are now without their top scorer.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	22	13	6	3	25	45
2	Western Sydney	22	14	2	6	13	44
3	Adelaide	22	11	3	8	2	36
4	Victory	22	11	3	8	-2	36
5	Heart	22	8	3	11	-1	27
6	Newcastle	22	7	6	9	-7	27
7	Sydney	22	8	3	11	-9	27
8	Brisbane	22	7	4	11	0	25
9	Perth	22	6	4	12	-4	22
10	Wellington	22	5	6	11	-17	21

Kewell would unlikely be an asset this season though, more an investment for the future.

"We’ve talked about Harry Kewell before and he’s been a fabulous player for the A-League,’’ Jets chief executive Robbie Middleby said.

"So that’s definitely an option . . . potentially he’s a player we could look at."

Kewell has kept open the option of returning to the A-League after reportedly turning down an offer in China to resume his club career.

The 34-year-old has also split with the celebrity agent he defected to last year.

Kewell has parted ways with James Erskine, the man who ovsersaw Shane Warne's metamorphosis from cricketer to socialite, after failing to land a club deal since he left Melbourne Victory at the end of last season.

The Socceroo had split with his long-term manager and adviser, Bernie Mandic, in November 2011 - the divorce between one of Australia's most significant player-manager relationships shocking the football industry.

Instead Kewell signed with Erskine but it's understood they have agreed to part ways.

It comes as Kewell reaffirmed to his intention to keep playing, despite missing the entire season so far and spurning on an opening in the Chinese Super League.

It has also emerged that the 34-year-old turned his back on a deal worth $2.1m over two years when he quit Victory last year, after a falling out with club officials.

Ange Postecoglou had been prepared to construct his attack around Kewell but with the deal agreed he decided instead to take his family to England, reportedly to be close to his mother in law as she battled cancer.

Since then Kewell has repeatedly stated his desire to play onto to next year's World Cup in Brazil, despite not having played for the Socceroos since last June.

Kewell insists he is still looking for a club "that's the right one for me and my family", and bizarrely pointed to Sydney's re-signing of Alessandro Del Piero as proof that he has "a few seasons left".

"He's a good example of someone who is still competitive and he's, what, 38 or 39?," Kewell said of Del Piero.

"Football has changed, I think. It used to be that you would start considering retirement after 30 but guys now are playing well on into their thirties.

"Obviously to be considered for the Socceroos again I need to get a club. I would move back to Australia again, definitely.

"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."

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Kewell and Viduka, together again

Great days ... Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka were golden members of a great generation. Source:AP

Kewell and Viduka, together again.

Well ... not on the pitch, but two of Australia's favourite sons have appeared together on Sky Sports in England over the weekend, where they reflected on their careers. 

Harry Kewell, clubless since leaving Melbourne Victory before the start of the A-League season, talked about his mixed memories playing in the 2005 Champions League Final, dramatically won by Liverpool against AC Milan, after Kewell limped off after 20 minutes.

Sitting alongside Mark Viduka, happily retired, they appeared on the Goals on Sunday program, where they talked about the Socceroos' 2006 World Cup adventure. 

"It was an incredible experience," said former Leeds, Liverpool and Galatasaray winger Kewell.

"We had two cracks at it beforehand and only through silly mistakes we didn't qualify. But in the qualifications for 2006, when Hiddink took over, there was a real buzz about the team. We'd learnt from the last two campaigns and we weren't going to make those mistakes again.

"We had a good team - a really good team - with the majority playing in the Premier League and with Hiddink's structure and the way he trained us, we were ready for the World Cup."

Hiddink famously guided Australia through their Oceania qualifying rounds to set up a play-off with Uruguay, who had finished fifth in the South America qualifying table. After losing 1-0 in the first leg away from home, Australia levelled the tie on aggregate in Sydney and then won the decisive penalty shoot-out to book their place at the World Cup for only the second time in their history, and for the first time in 32 years.

In Germany, the Socceroos produced an outstanding performance to beat Japan and, after losing to Brazil, drew with Croatia to reach the knockout phase. In the round of 16 their tournament came to an end, losing to Italy - but it was a campaign both Viduka and Kewell remember fondly.

Viduka also praised his former boss and says Hiddink helped alleviate an inferiority complex Australia's players felt when matched against more successful football nations.

"Hiddink has got this presence about him which makes people automatically want to play for him," he said.

"Hiddink sets the tone from the start - from training to games. He's got this calmness about him as well.

"When you come from Australia, and you have come through the Australian system, you always feel a little bit inferior to European or South American sides. We always had a hard run - we had to play the fifth placed South American team to reach the World Cup and it was always very difficult.

"We'd have two big games every four years (the World Cup play-offs), whereas the South Americans come from a big qualification series where they play loads of big games against the best in the world.

"For us to get up for those two big games and go through was very difficult - that's why in the two times before that we'd struggled. But when Hiddink came in he set the tone.

"He improved us defensively and got us to the point where we all knew our jobs 100%, so even with our eyes closed we knew exactly what to do. We knew how to close down teams when we didn't have the ball, how we were going to go forward...He was excellent."

Viduka also chatted about his time at Celtic in Scotland and about his journey to England - which you can watch in the video at the top of the page. 

Read more: http://www.skysports.com/tv_show/story/0,,12384_8506140,00.html

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