Kewell plays down Charlton links

Posted Sunday, March 25, 2018 by PA

Harry Kewell insisted he has not been approached for the manager’s job at Charlton after his Crawley side’s 5-3 home defeat by Cheltenham.

Former Leeds and Liverpool star Kewell has been strongly linked to the post at the Valley, where Lee Bowyer is in caretaker charge following the departure of Karl Robinson.

An Australian consortium are one of two parties being linked with taking over at Charlton, who have been owned by Belgian Roland Duchatelet since January 2014.

A price has reportedly been agreed with the two separate interested parties but Kewell, 39, said he felt people were “putting two and two together” because of his nationality.

He said: “I am an Australian manager in the league and people have decided to put two and two together.

“I’ve had 24 years in the game and I’ll carry on doing my job. Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, but no-one has approached me.

“We’ve got 53 points at Crawley, two points better off than last season with seven games to go, and I’d like to take this club to the top.

“I’m in it as far as they want me in it. I would love to take the club to a higher level.”

Crawley’s play-off bid has faded after five games without a win but Kewell insists: “We play every game aggressively to win.

“Once we add a few more people to this team and cut out the mistakes, we’ll be fine.”

Cheltenham boss Gary Johnson feels rising star Mohamed Eisa would be at home in at least the Championship after his two goals equalled a club record of 20 league goals.

Sudanese striker Eisa has hit the heights in his debut season and Johnson said: “His touch has improved and he’s mixing up his game.

“Obviously there will be interest in him but I’d like to keep him. He is at least Championship level, but he will know when the right time is.”

Eisa scored either side of half-time after Harry Pell also scored twice put Cheltenham 2-0 up inside the first 12 minutes.

Will Boyle scored again for Cheltenham after Karlan Ahearne-Grant hit Crawley’s first, while Panutche Camara and Lewis Young scored in the closing stages as the hosts went down fighting.

Cheltenham are now unbeaten in five games, with 10 goals in their last three away games, and Johnson added: “This is our best run of the season.

“We have played and we haven’t just lumped it. Tactically we were magnificent in the first half and it was a big three points.”