Melbourne Victory assistant coach Kevin Muscat feels new signing Harry Kewell has already made a significant impact on the playing group despite having completed just one training session since arriving in Australia on Monday.
Melbourne Victory assistant coach Kevin Muscat feels new signing Harry Kewell has already made a significant impact on the playing group despite having completed just one training session since arriving in Australia on Monday.
Kewell completed in his first session on Wednesday, looking sharp although a little short on combative training and said afterwards that everything had progressed ‘perfectly’ in the past few days.
Muscat said the spirits of the players had received a timely boost with the marquee signing’s arrival.
“A couple of boys turned up a little bit earlier for training this morning and floated around the gym,” he joked. “It’s all been positive from where I sit I don’t see really too many negatives about what he’ll bring to the group.”
“His professionalism, the way he goes about things will rub off on the other players and not only improve the younger boys but re-enforce what the older boys have done before he got here.”
Muscat is particularly taken with how well prepared Kewell appears to be for his first season in the Hyundai A-League having spent the past few months working by himself on an individual program.
“I had no doubt he would turn up here in immaculate condition and he’s not disappointed me. As you can see this morning, 48 hours after a flight he was running around trouble-free. We’re very excited about the season coming up,” he said.
Muscat has been with the club from the outset and admits that even he has been taken aback by the amount of publicity Kewell’s arrival has courted in the media.
But he thinks his former Qantas Socceroo team-mate deserves every plaudit he receives and believes Kewell can live up to the hype.
“The media attention that goes with Harry is equal to his ability. He’s been an outstanding footballer for his country and all the clubs he’s played for,” the former two-time championship winning captain said.
“I’m excited more about what he is going to bring to the group. The younger boys, how they feed of him, how they learn what it’s like to become the type of player he’s become.”
Kewell was impressed with what he saw in his first serious hit out with his new team-mates.
“I was talking to Archie (Thompson) before hand and he said they are a good bunch of guys who work hard and I saw that out there today. If that enthusiasm and spirit keeps up, I’ll be tested,” Kewell said.
“I’ve been working by myself, but there’s nothing better than playing with a football with your new team-mates and getting to know them.”
“They’ve got some talent out there. I’m impressed.”
