Harry Kewell has scored only once this season and that was from the penalty spot, but rookie coach Mehmet Durakovic has been more than impressed with Melbourne Victory’s star signing.
Harry Kewell has scored only once this season and that was from the penalty spot, but rookie coach Mehmet Durakovic has been more than impressed with Melbourne Victory’s star signing.
Kewell joined the Victory from Turkish club Galatasaray in the off-season and the 33-year-old has now featured six times for Durakovic’s side this campaign.
The former Leeds United and Liverpool star broke his Hyundai A-League scoring duck during Victory’s 3-2 triumph over Gold Coast United on Sunday and Durakovic was full of praise for his marquee man.
“He (Kewell) has been a true professional both on and off the pitch with whatever he has been doing,” Durakovic said.
“I have been really happy with his performances, the way he trains and how he talks to our youngsters.”
“And he has been playing well.”
Kewell played for an hour against Gold Coast as he regained match fitness following a hamstring injury he picked up while playing for the Qantas Socceroos, but was on the pitch long enough to convert the penalty striker Archie Thompson won in the opening moments of the clash.
And now that Kewell has opened his A-League scoring account, Durakovic thinks he will only get better.
“It’s not really his fault when he gets hamstring tightness and he can’t really give it all he has got,” Durakovic said.
“But he had 60 minutes last week and his hamstring tightness has gone away so hopefully he will play much more this week.”
One player that has thrived since Kewell’s arrival has been midfielder Leigh Broxham.
This is Broxham’s sixth season at Victory, but the 23-year-old is only now just starting to find his best form.
Broxham may have managed just one goal during his 88 A-League appearances for Victory, but his form of late has seen his name one of the first put on the team sheet by Durakovic each week.
“I am pretty happy with how it has been going for me,” Broxham said.
“I started a few games during the pre-season, but I will be the first one to admit my form wasn’t the greatest leading into the season.”
“When I did get my chance at the start of the year I wanted to grab it with two hands.”
“If the other boys weren’t performing then that is their problem and I feel like I am doing a bit better at the moment.”
Broxham doesn’t quite have the same profile at Victory as Kewell and the pint-sized midfielder knows the best way to keep his more experienced team-mate on side.
“Give him (Kewell) the ball, let him do the passing and I will do the tackling,” Broxham added.