'Clean slate' Kewell says he 'really took a step back this year'

Socceroos legend and new Barnet coach Harry Kewell has opened up about how much he missed coaching and his new role at the Conference Premier club.

Kewell joined the struggling English minnows two weeks ago, after the club finished last season 22nd in England's fifth division, outside of the football league, and were only spared relegation by a temporary pause due to COVID.

The Socceroos icon joined Barnet after he was sacked by Oldham Athletic and Notts Country in League Two, following his decision to leave Crawley Town after a brief period of success in the division.

But despite his myriad challenges coaching in England, Kewell says he couldn't wait for his next role.

"I love this side of the sport," Kewell told the Oldham Times.

"People say it's a tough job, and it is a tough job, but I love to be a part of it, I love to be involved in the club, the way that the game is being played," said Kewell, who has previously managed Crawley and Notts County.

"The opportunity that Barnet has given me to come back into it is something that I couldn't refuse, the opportunity was so good.

"For me it's exciting to be back on the phone, talking football, being able to negotiate and speak to players. I love it. I love being part of it. But I know the road ahead is going to be tough, I'm not expecting it to be easy.

"Me and my team are ready to do the hard work, we just need to get the rest of the jigsaw together and make sure that we have a better season than what we've been used to."

Kewell said Barnet - who have also replaced the manager's backroom staff - are a new project for him and admitted it's been a year of personal reflection due to the pandemic.

"I really took a step back this year knowing how much football actually missed fans," Kewell continued.

"Fans are so important not only for football itself but for teams as well. They are the 12th man, they do drive teams forward, they do bring life and soul into a football game.

"When you have an empty stadium it's just not football, is it? You need fans in there and I'm really looking forward to seeing fans, home and away."

"This is a new background staff so we are coming in with a kind of clean slate. We've sat down and spoken about how we want to approach the league, how we want to play, what type of players we want to bring in, so now it's down to us all working together, and if we can work together and bring that type of player in it's only going to help us.

"That's the good side of it because now we've got time to focus in on that type of player, whereas I've been in clubs before where it's been rushed and you've got to kind of work it out. This time here now we're doing it properly."