Kewell all set to go for qualifiers

Harry Kewell insists he will right for the upcoming AFC World Cup qualifiers in June and is looking forward to showing a few people just what he can do now that he back to fitness.

Harry Kewell insists he will right for the upcoming AFC World Cup qualifiers in June and is looking forward to showing a few people just what he can do now that he back to fitness.

The former Liverpool midfielder, while obviously disappointed with how things have turned out in recent months, just wants to concentrate on getting back on the park and believes he right to go, starting Friday-s match against Ghana.

“The body-s good,” he said confidently. “Am I ready to play 90 minutes? Yes. I think I can run with the best of them now.

"I-m looking forward to it. Obviously my match fitness is down because I haven-t played for God knows how long now. But in general fitness, I-m very good. “So we-ll see on Friday, but I am quite confident in my own ability.”

Injuries have blighted his career at Liverpool, almost since he signed with the club from Leeds United five years ago and in the end contributed to his time at the club coming to an end two weeks ago.

“There were obviously times over my career where I sat down and I thought ‘what-s going on?- But every athlete goes through these problems. You-ve just got to be strong enough and mentally strong to get through them.

‘I-ve always had the best team behind me, giving me the best advice and how to go forward. I am just looking forward to going out there and playing football; I-m really looking forward to training today.

“A lot of people go (to me) you want to prove a lot of people wrong but I-ve just got to go out there and enjoy myself.

“I think the one person I would like to just show is probably my old manager (Rafa Benitez). I didn-t get a chance to show him a lot of what I could do and it would be great just to show him what I was capable of doing.”

As for the qualifiers, while personally looking forward to playing again, he is also looking at playing in a proper qualification process for the first time.

“It-s the first time we-ve been in a proper qualification process to get to a World Cup and the Australian team are really looking forward to it.

“The last few we have been through, its really come down to a play-off game and that-s difficult.

“This gives you the chance to play well, but if you do have an off day, you can still make it up by winning other games and progressing.”

Kewell also laughed off the scathing criticism of the British tabloids following his release from Liverpool, by saying “When are they ever polite.”

"We all know that the newspapers and reporters have their favourites. There-s always scapegoats or always people they want to blame. It-s unfortunate that I was one of them.

“I didn-t put my hand up to be injured. It-s one of these things you have to go through in your life. It-s a shame because I haven-t done anything wrong.

“It-s something they live and die for over there. You just don-t read it; don-t see it and get on with your life. You know what you-re capable of doing on the pitch and that-s the most important thing.”

He also dismissed reports that he had reached a deal with FA Cup winners Portsmouth and that he will always be a target for speculation on his future.

“Portsmouth? Apparently my agent did it while he was on the plane coming over so I don-t know how he-s done that.

“There-s always speculation about my club involvement," he said. "Obviously it-s a new chapter in my life but as you-re all well aware I can-t give that information quite yet. You-ll all be the first to know.

“I have never shied away from going abroad, from playing anywhere,” he added. “My options are open and we-ll see what happens.”