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No Australian football fan has forgotten the events of November 1997. The events in Tehran and Melbourne have been written about in great detail elsewhere, and needless to say it was one of the most heartbreaking experiences we have all had to endure. And the wait of 8 years simply prolonged the agony.
But November 1997 was also the month of the making of the “Golden Boy” of Australian football, Harry Kewell.
It was November 8, 1997 when Leeds hosted Derby at Elland Road- the rivalry between the two clubs goes back to the 1970s, then saw some of the most appalling violence of the early 1980s as both clubs declined. But in 1997, these were two clubs very clearly on the up.
Kewell had already made his mark on an improving Leeds side. He had already scored a couple of goals, but his performance in this game had garnered attention for one splendid goal. Leeds had bored everybody to death the previous season, albeit securing Premiership safety, but the new season brought the necessary changes. Youth was the key.
Derby were on a high after defeating Arsenal 3-0 the previous week- and Arsenal went on to win the double! This was also the first season in their new home of Pride Park, but the first game against Wimbledon had been abandoned after light failure.
Nevertheless, this was a Derby squad boasting memorable talent such as Igor Stimac, Aljosa Asanovic (think a Nick Carle kind of player but actually better), Paulo Wanchope, Stefano Eranio and Francisco Baiano. Jim Smith had proven a highly effective manager to date, but he would later lose the plot.
It was all Derby in the first half an hour, playing the kind of football that had seen them comfortably demolish Arsenal. They were 3-0 up with Dean Sturridge scoring twice in 11 minutes, and Aljosa Asanovic seemingly putting the game beyond doubt with a penalty.
But Leeds sparked to life.
Rod Wallace had pulled one back. And then five minutes before half time, Harry Kewell stunned the crowd with a goal.
A stunning volley that would rank among the top goals of 97/98. The goal set Leeds on to win the game, which they did in the final 10 minutes through a Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink penalty and then Lee Boyer, on as a sub, scoring the winner in the last minute. 4-3 it finished.
Leeds went on to finish 5th while Derby finished a credible but somewhat disappointing 9th, having been in the mix for Europe most of the season.
Both clubs gambled massively on success and paid a heavy price as the football world came crashing financially by 2002. Dark clouds gathered around Leeds, while Derby suffered a dismal relegation- both clubs were to pay for their overspending and neither have fully recovered.
But it’s amazing to think how significant that one goal was, to so many.
Harry Kewell had attained stardom.
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