Australian football veteran Harry Kewell brought his Academy to Adelaide this week, with two afternoon clinics held at Salisbury United Football Club and one session held at Port Adelaide Pirates.

The Harry Kewell Academy provides young players with the inspiration to be their best, have fun and follow their football ambitions while learning from one of Australia’s highest football achievers.

Kewell who leads and participates in the Academy said that ultimately it is about giving back.

“I played football my whole life and this is why I have done my Academy. It is how I was brought up on football and all of the things I teach are the things that I was taught. I do it because I love football and enjoy giving back.”

The Academy is developed around a specific set of drills that Harry himself trained with through out his career.

“All of the things incorporated in the clinics are things I worked with through out my whole career. If I found that I wasn’t taking something on personally, I would go back to these drills that I did.

“For example, a lot of kids feel that they have been taught how to strike a ball and that they understand how to strike and I kind of bring something different to it. We provide the opportunity for kids to come and work on individual skills, not so much on formation or team play; this is where they can shine in themselves.”

Kewell communicates that there are changes in the mentality towards developing footballers from when he was coming through the ranks, however his belief is as it was when he started, that dedication is key.

“When we were younger it was like ‘football football football, work work work’. Now there are a lot of rules involved and I understand that but if you want to make it at the best you have to work all day, it is a job.

“Even though I loved it and I was privileged to play the football that I love, I still had to work every day. You don’t really get rest, it is not a normal 9-5 job and you are on call 365 days a year.”

Looking at the future, Kewell notes that the Academy is the right first step for him.

“I can’t play football forever and managing or coaching excites me. I want to go away, learn it and hopefully I can one day become a manager or coach, but I have to keep learning.

“I have a good team behind me with the Academy. I do everything myself so I have selected a couple of coaches who are working with me full time and starting to get my ideas which is great, it takes time for that.

“This is a good platform for me to be able to learn my skills at a smaller level and gives me time to go away, back in Europe and get my badges and learn for the big stars. Then after some time, see what happens. I may figure out that I want to be coaching in the big leagues, or that youth team level is my level, or just that my Academy is the perfect spot for me, so it is still something that I am working on.”