A-League return for Kewell little chance

While confirming that the clubless 34-year-old is due in Melbourne to attend the spring racing carnival, Rob Smith, of Sport & Entertainment Limited, insisted the trip was more about rest and relaxation than turning Kewell's club search back on home turf.

The social media world has been abuzz with speculation of Kewell’s imminent arrival in Australia, where he spent a season with Melbourne Victory before rejecting the offer of a second season at $1 million and decamping back to England for family reasons in June.

Smith moved to scotch a report suggesting Kewell could sign an A-League contract and revealed that Kewell’s main focus remains on finding a new employer in England or elsewhere in Europe.

“That’s what he’s aiming at with the agents we have collectively appointed and that remains his main aim,” Smith said.

“That doesn’t mean he is not open to a return to the A-League but when you look at the squad lists it doesn’t appear that there are many opportunities out there.

“He enjoyed his time here with Melbourne and but we are not sure where any opportunities might lie in the six months or so since he left.

“When you look at the player lists the clubs have you can see that the openings will be few.”

Western Sydney Wanderers, based in the heartland where Kewell grew up, is the only club which has an Australian marquee spot vacant. However the club has stated it is not interested in signing Kewell, who has not played for several months.

Meanwhile, Victory and Melbourne Heart have also ruled themselves out of the running.

"We've got a full squad and two marquee players and no money so he certainly won't be playing with us," a Victory spokesman said.

"We have no money left in the salary cap."

The club said it had not been in contact with Kewell.

Smith, though, confirmed that Kewell, and wife Sheree Murphy would be attending the Melbourne spring carnival, but maintained suggestions the former Leeds, Liverpool and Galatasaray ace would return to Australia within hours with a view to putting pen to paper with a club were unfounded.

“He is certainly heading here for a break. He has been doing some promotional work in Hawaii with Telstra and it was always his attention to come back to Melbourne for the racing,” he added.

“But that’s as far as it goes as far as we are concerned.”

Kewell has been linked to Premier League club Stoke City, championship clubs Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough, plus League One Swindon Town since his departure from Victory.