Former Socceroo Harry Kewell has impressed in his first senior stint as manager, with his Crawley Town players particularly enthusiastic about the Australian's managerial skills.
Linked strongly with a move to League One side Charlton Athletic, the ex-Liverpool player put his current League Two side within touching distance of an unlikely promotion spot after a superb mid-season run.
While fading somewhat in recent months with Crawley now 13th, Kewell has left an immediate impression upon the club and its players.
Crawley's Irish defender Mark Connolly is one such player and admitted a move up the managerial ladder is inevitable for Kewell.
“I am sure it will happen, one day, and he will deserve it, but hopefully not yet, we still have things we want to achieve with the manager at Crawley Town," Connolly told Fox Sports.
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“He is one of the best managers I have worked with.
“It is incredible this is his first job, because he has dealt with everything brilliantly, and acts as if he has been doing this for the last 10 years.”
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Having played at two World Cups for Australia while also winning a Champions League with Liverpool, Kewell's glittering playing career helped him earn the immediate respect of his players.
Eager to implement a more sophisticated playing style with Crawley and get the absolute best of out his players, Connolly admitted it was easy for the players to listen to Kewell from the outset.
“Everyone bought in to him, because he’s been there, and done it all,” he said.
“He’s done the sort of thing we are all still dreaming about doing ourselves one day.”
