'Viduka and Kewell were the best players I ever played with' - former Leeds teammate

Former Leeds United left-back Ian Harte says Australians Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka were the best players he ever played with.

Harte played for Leeds for eight years from 1996 until 2004, with Kewell playing beside him for seven of those years before leaving in 2003 while Viduka spent four years with Harte at the club from 2000 until 2004. 

Harte also played 64 times for the Republic of Ireland, but it were the two Aussies that he believes are the best players he ever played with. 

“I would have to say Mark Viduka or Harry Kewell – they were absolutely unplayable on their day," Harte told footballleagueworld.co.uk 

“Viduka, we played Liverpool and won 4-3 and he scored four goals.

“Harry – I used to just give Harry the ball.

“I used to try and go around the outside to overlap but I couldn’t catch up with him so I used to just let him get on with it!

“I’m sure that Harry had the chance to play for England and he certainly would have been good enough.

“Our youth team manager was Paul Hart and I think that the England set-up were trying to get Harry down to play for the youth teams but Harry had a chat with his parents and decided that he wanted to play for Australia.”

“Viduka was just unbelievable. He was just a gentle giant – a really, really lovely guy and very talented.

“For such a big guy he had a great touch not to mention being able to spin and turn with both feet.

“He was a really, really clever player.

“They were both very talented.”


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2 min read
Published 20 March 2020 10:14am
Source: SBS The World Game


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