Liverpool once left Leeds United outraged after 'illegally talking' to star player over a move to Anfield

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Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say However, the heat ramped up once again in 2003, when star Leeds winger Harry Kewell opted to leave for Liverpool in a cut-price deal of £5m.The move left Leeds frothing at the mouth, with chairman John McKenzie claiming Liverpool had pulled off an illegal deal by coming to an underhand arrangement with Kewell and his agent.Leeds felt short-changed over Harry Kewell moveComing off the back of a Premier League season in which he’d scored 14 goals, Kewell was inarguably worth more than what Liverpool eventually paid for him.However, the then 24-year-old was out of contract at Elland Road in 2004, and as McKenzie told The Guardian at the time, Kewell had made it absolutely clear that he would walk away for nothing if he was not sold in 2003.Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Arne Slot should listen to Daniel Sturridge’s idea for ‘different’ Liverpool attacking system“I have it in writing that, if we didn’t settle for these terms, Harry intended to leave under the Bosman ruling next summer,” said the then Leeds chairman.“There were clubs willing to pay more than the £5m Liverpool offered. So what could we do?”McKenzie then accused Liverpool of ‘illegally talking’ to Kewell over the previous six months in order to arrange a deal with the Australian and his agent behind Leeds’ back.

With that in mind I agreed a deal of £7m last Friday with the Liverpool chief executive – with whose club Harry appears to have been illegally talking for six months – which Kewell and his agent refused to countenance.“They were upset because, apparently, they didn’t think they were getting as much money out of it as they had hoped, so they demanded that we reduce the fee paid by Liverpool to £5m with £2m of that to be paid to Mr Mandic. What happened to the remaining £2m from our original discussions I believe I know, but only Liverpool or Harry Kewell could tell you.

Draw your own conclusions.”Kewell was not worth the trouble for LiverpoolAlthough he – and everyone else associated with Leeds – was furious at the time of Kewell’s departure, they may have taken some solace in how things ultimately turned out for the left winger on Merseyside.Kewell became known as an injury liability during his five years with Liverpool, making only 18 appearances across his final two years with the club. AppearancesGoalsTrophiesHarry Kewell at Liverpool13916Champions League, FA CupHe did begin the Champions League final in 2005 and the FA Cup final a year later but was forced off with injury before half-time in both.After leaving for Galatasaray in 2008, Kewell upset Leeds fans further, but it’s for his eight-year spell with the Whites which his career is largely remembered.As they prepare to lock horns with Liverpool once again this weekend, there will no doubt be some present at Elland Road who have never quite forgiven the Reds for their part in Kewell’s untimely exit.