21 February 2024 , 12:46
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Gary Lineker has opened up on the time he was sued by then Liverpool star Harry Kewell.
Kewell had been left unhappy when Lineker penned a newspaper column taking aim at his transfer from Leeds to the Reds in 2003. Kewell opted to sue for libel, with the case going all the way to London's High Court in 2005.
The Australian accused the Match of the Day host of a "hurtful and humiliating attack" over the transfer. A seven-day hearing followed over the article, which was headlined "Kewell move made me feel ashamed of the game".
Kewell had been set on a move to Liverpool, with his personal manager Bernie Mandic starting negotiations with the Reds himself. The striker would complete the move, with Mandic's company Max Sport sent £2million of the £5m Liverpool paid.
Mandic's involvement concerned Lineker, whose column called for agents to be banned from working on behalf of both the player and the selling club. Lineker denied libel and pled a defence of fair comment, with the broadcaster now branding the incident "ludicrous".
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"Do you know Harry Kewell sued me? It's quite a while ago, I used to have a column and it was around transfers," Lineker told The Rest Is Football podcast as he, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards discussed the best Australian players to feature in the Premier League.
"I was talking about how agents shouldn't be allowed to represent both parties in terms of the football club on both sides and the player himself because of conflict of interest. He sued me over this because I called him naive for that. It was obvious that his agent took the hump.
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Lineker was taken to court by then Liverpool star Harry Kewell ((PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images))"I was in court for four or five days giving evidence, it was ludicrous and obviously it didn't transpire that he won the case.
"But I was thinking 'I feel like a criminal, all I've done is call him naive'. It was surreal, so surreal. There was a jury! Honestly. It went on and on and I just thought 'this won't happen, it's madness'. It was a waste, nuts. I haven't seen him since."
Kewell had been seeking substanial damages from Lineker and his fellow defendants, the Sunday Telegraph's sports editor Jon Ryan and Telegraph Group Ltd. No verdict was reached in the High Court hearing.
The two sides would eventually settle out of court, a month after the original hearing came to an end. The settlement was confidential, with Kewell going on to feature for Liverpool until 2008, winning the Champions League and FA Cup.
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