Harry Kewell in 2006.Harry Kewell was born on 22 September 1978 in Smithfield, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. He was the son of Rod and Helen Kewell. Kewell was the eldest of three children; his younger siblings are a sister, Jacqueline, and a brother, Rod Jr.
Kewell attended Westfields Sports High School in Sydney and trained at the New South Wales Soccer Academy. He developed a strong interest in sports from a young age and focused especially on soccer. He grew up as an avid supporter of Liverpool FC, the English club he admired during his childhood.
Kewell began playing organized football as a child. He spent his early youth playing for the local Smithfield Hotspurs club in Sydney’s west. He was soon selected for regional representative teams and went on to compete at the state level. As a teenager he joined the Marconi-Fairfield youth program, further developing his skills in competitive youth football.
| Net Worth (2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Primary Income Source | Football career |
| Current Income Source | Hanoi FC coaching salary |
| Other Earnings | Endorsements, investments |
| Playing Position | Left winger |
| Top Clubs Played For | Leeds, Liverpool, Galatasaray |
| Club Career Goals | 45 (Leeds), 12 (Liverpool) |
| Major Trophies | UCL 2005, FA Cup 2006 |
| International Career | 58 caps, 17 goals |
| Individual Awards | Oceania POTY (3×) |
| Coaching Roles | Watford U21, Crawley, Notts, Oldham, Barnet, Celtic |
Harry Kewell is an Australian soccer coach, manager and former professional player whose career spans nearly three decades. As a player he was best known as an attacking winger or midfielder, featuring prominently for clubs such as Leeds United and Liverpool in England before later spells at Galatasaray in Turkey and stints in Australia and Qatar.
He won major trophies at Liverpool (including the 2005 UEFA Champions League and 2006 FA Cup) and earned 58 caps for the Australian national team, representing his country at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. After retiring from playing in 2014, Kewell moved into coaching, taking on a series of managerial and assistant roles in England, Scotland, and Asia.
He completed UEFA coaching licences and served as a youth coach at Watford before managing several English clubs. In 2022 he joined Celtic as an assistant coach, and in early 2024 he became head coach of Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan (guiding them to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League final).
In October 2025 he was appointed head coach of V.League 1 side Hanoi FC in Vietnam, making him one of the most internationally experienced Australians in coaching. Throughout his career Kewell has been praised for professionalism, leadership and a focus on player development stating he aims to instill “the spirit of learning every day to improve” in his squads.
Kewell’s professional career began in England with Leeds United. He moved from the Australian Institute of Sport to Leeds’ youth academy in 1995 and made his Premier League debut as a 17-year-old in 1996.
He quickly established himself in the first team, helping Leeds win the FA Youth Cup in 1997 and earning the club’s Player of the Year awards. By the turn of the millennium Kewell was one of Leeds’s standout players he was voted the English top-flight’s PFA Young Player of the Year in 2000.
That year he was a key contributor as Leeds finished near the top of the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League. His most memorable achievement with Leeds came in 2001 when he helped lead the team to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Over eight seasons at Elland Road (1995–2003) Kewell made well over 200 appearances in all competitions and scored around 50 goals, becoming known for his pace, dribbling skill and eye for goal. He also produced several match-winning performances including scoring in a famous 3–2 win over Arsenal in 2003 that helped derail Arsenal’s title bid.
By mid-2003 with Leeds facing financial troubles Kewell had become one of England’s most sought-after young talents and he decided to move to Liverpool for a fee of about £5 million.
Kewell signed for Liverpool in July 2003 rejecting offers from other top clubs to pursue title ambitions at Anfield. He slotted into the Liverpool attack under manager Gérard Houllier and immediately made an impact.
In his first competitive game he scored a memorable goal in a 3–0 Merseysidederby win over Everton in August 2003. Over the next five seasons Kewell was a regular contributor for Liverpool. He helped the team win several trophies most notably the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League and the 2005–06 FA Cup. In the 2005 Champions League final Kewell started in midfield and although he suffered an early injury he remained part of the squad that achieved Liverpool’s famous victory in Istanbul. The following year he played in the 2006 FA Cup Final again earning a winner’s medal as Liverpool lifted the trophy.
Liverpool also won the League Cup in 2004 during his tenure. Across his Liverpool career Kewell made over 130 first-team appearances and scored in key matches but he was hampered by knee injuries in later seasons. Still he contributed to Liverpool’s consistent presence among the league’s top sides.
He left Liverpool in the summer of 2008 after 139 games and 16 league goals seeking a new challenge abroad.
On the international stage Kewell was a fixture for the Australian national team from the mid-1990s until 2012. He earned 58 caps and scored 17 goals for Australia making him one of the country’s leading scorers of his generation.
Kewell made his full international debut as a teenager in 1996 and went on to play in two FIFA World Cups. In the 2006 World Cup he scored the opening goal in Australia’s 2–2 draw with Croatia securing Australia’s place in the knockout stage. He was again a key player in the 2010 World Cup campaign although he received a red card in a group match against Ghana.
Kewell also featured in several AFC Asian Cups helping Australia reach the semi-finals in 2007 and 2011. In the 2011 tournament he scored in both the quarter-final and semi-final as Australia advanced to its first-ever Asian Cup final.
During World Cup qualifying he often captained the side for example he was handed the captain’s armband in a crucial 2008 qualifier against Iraq scoring the winning goal in a 1–0 victory. In total his leadership and goals made Kewell a central figure in Australia’s national team efforts throughout the early 2000s.
After leaving Liverpool in 2008 Kewell continued his playing career overseas. He signed for Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray in July 2008 on a two-year contract. At Galatasaray he wore the number 19 shirt and quickly found success he scored on his debut in the 2008 Turkish Super Cup helping the team to that trophy just seconds after coming on as a substitute.
Over three seasons from 2008 to 2011 with Galatasaray Kewell was a regular performer scoring roughly 20 goals across league and cup competitions and contributing in European matches. He helped Galatasaray maintain its status as one of Turkey’s top clubs and played alongside fellow Australian Lucas Neill after Neill joined in 2010. In 2011 Kewell’s contract with Galatasaray expired.
He then moved to Australia to play in the A-League. In August 2011 Kewell signed as a marquee player for Melbourne Victory. His arrival created a media sensation known as “Kewell Fever” fans welcomed him at the airport in large numbers. He made his debut in the 2011–12 season and ended that campaign with around 8 goals in 25 appearances.
Kewell’s experience and skill were a big boost for Victory although family reasons led him to leave the club in mid-2012 after just one season. In early 2013 Kewell had a short spell in the Qatar Stars League signing for Al-Gharafa on a short-term deal as injury cover. He made three appearances for Al-Gharafa and scored once.
Later that year in June 2013 Kewell returned to the A-League by signing a one-year contract with Melbourne Heart now Melbourne City. He wore the number 10 shirt and played under coach John Aloisi. After playing 16 games and scoring 2 goals for Heart Kewell announced his retirement in March 2014 to be effective at the end of the 2013–14 season.
This marked the end of his long playing career. Throughout these later years he brought veteran leadership and attacking creativity to his teams passing on his experience to younger players.
Immediately after retiring as a player Kewell shifted focus to coaching. He spent some months working in Australia and completed his UEFA coaching badges earning his UEFA B and A licenses in 2015.
In July 2015 he returned to England to take up a role with Watford FC initially as head coach of their Under-21 youth team. He spent two seasons at Watford helping to develop the club’s young talent.
Kewell then launched his senior managerial career. On 23 May 2017 he was appointed head coach of Crawley Town a professional side in England’s League Two. In doing so he became the first Australian to manage an English Football League club.
At Crawley Kewell applied his attacking philosophy and improved the team’s consistency. In the 2017–18 season Crawley finished 14th in League Two with a notably strong run in early 2018 that saw the team win 10 of 14 league games. This mid-table finish was considered a successful first campaign for the club under his leadership. Partway into the next season in August 2018 Kewell departed Crawley to take a new opportunity.
On 31 August 2018 he was appointed manager of Notts County also in League Two. Notts County was struggling near the bottom of the table at that time. Kewell took charge but after just ten weeks the club announced his dismissal in November 2018 following poor results three wins in fourteen matches. Club chairman Alan Hardy later praised Kewell’s commitment but results were deemed insufficient.
After leaving Notts County Kewell returned to coaching in 2020 when he was appointed manager of Oldham Athletic on 1 August 2020. The one-year deal was aimed at stabilizing the club which had experienced many managerial changes. Kewell spoke of needing to bring stability saying the one thing he believed the club needed was stability.
He also emphasized hard work and unity explaining that his arrival gave everyone a clean slate and that he wanted to see the club progress. However Oldham’s form did not improve significantly and Kewell was relieved of his duties in March 2021 with Oldham sitting mid-table.
In June 2021 Kewell took over as head coach of Barnet a club in the English National League. Barnet had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season and Kewell was hired to revive the team. He described Barnet as a fantastic football club that simply needed to get back on the right path.
Upon his appointment he noted that he had assembled an exciting backroom team and expressed ambition to bring brighter days to the club. Despite initial enthusiasm Barnet continued to struggle and Kewell was dismissed in September 2021 after failing to win in seven games.
In recent years Kewell has extended his career as a coach at higher levels and in Asia. In June 2022 he accepted a role in Scotland as a first-team coach at Celtic FC joining the backroom staff of manager Ange Postecoglou. He was part of the Celtic coaching team during the 2022–23 season in which Celtic won the Scottish Premiership and League Cup.
Working under Postecoglou a fellow Australian Kewell gained experience in a top-tier European club environment. On 18 December 2023 Kewell was announced as the manager of Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan’s J1 League succeeding compatriot Kevin Muscat.
He became the third successive Australian to hold that position at the Japanese club. In his first season in 2024 he led Yokohama to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League final where they finished as runners-up which represented a notable continental achievement.
Most recently on 4 October 2025 Hanoi FC of Vietnam’s V.League 1 announced that Kewell would be their new head coach. Hanoi FC is one of Vietnam’s most successful clubs domestically and the appointment was described by the club as signaling a new era for them.
The club stated that Kewell’s European playing and coaching experience would bring fresh energy and help raise the team’s level as it pursues both league success and continental ambitions. Kewell expressed excitement about the challenge noting Hanoi’s ambition and stating that he wanted to foster the spirit of learning every day in his players. His debut with Hanoi FC was scheduled for 18 October 2025 in a V-League match.
Throughout this period Kewell has emphasized professionalism preparation and player development. He has spoken about pressure driving him to demand high standards and he expects the same dedication from his squads. His influence is seen in the professional cultures he tries to establish at his clubs combining his international playing pedigree with modern coaching methods.
As of 2026 Harry Kewell remains an active figure in football drawing on his extensive playing career to guide his coaching career in Asia.
As of 2026, Harry Kewell's net worth is not publicly disclosed, and no figure has been officially verified by major financial authorities. Kewell’s income is derived from his professional football career and coaching roles. He earned professional salaries from his playing contracts in England, Turkey, and Australia and now receives compensation as head coach of Hanoi FC in Vietnam. One analysis notes that his wealth “comes from his long football career ... and his ongoing coaching income”. Specific earnings figures are not publicly available.
Harry Kewell is an Australian football coach and former professional player born on 22 September 1978 in Sydney, Australia. He is best known for playing as a winger or attacking midfielder for clubs such as Leeds United and Liverpool and for representing the Australian national team.
During his playing career, Kewell primarily played as a left winger but was also used as an attacking midfielder or second striker. His playing style was noted for pace, dribbling ability, and attacking creativity.
Kewell played professionally for several clubs including Leeds United, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa, and Melbourne Heart. His most prominent years were spent in the English Premier League with Leeds United and Liverpool.
Harry Kewell earned 58 international caps for the Australian national team between 1996 and 2012. During that time he scored 17 goals for the Socceroos.
Yes, Harry Kewell was part of the Liverpool squad that won the UEFA Champions League in the 2004–05 season. The victory came in the famous final against AC Milan in Istanbul.