Harry Kewell wades into US-Australia row, says he had never heard of Mike Grella | OneFootball

Former Leeds United winger Harry Kewell has joined a cross-continental spat sparked by ex-Whites forward Mike Grella, saying he had never heard of him. According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, the row stems from Grella calling the Socceroos a "layup" for the United States ahead of their 2026 World Cup group game in Seattle on Friday night.

Grella played 42 times for Leeds after a trial in January 2009, helped win promotion from League One, then left in 2011 for Brentford after loans. He later turned out for Bury, Scunthorpe and Viborg, before returning to the MLS in his home country, and is now a television analyst.

Despite fellow former Leeds man Tyler Adams urging caution, with the USA midfielder saying, "No, it’s not a layup, if anything, it’s going to be one of the most difficult games that we play," Grella has doubled down. He said he had planned to be complimentary but felt the reaction in Australia had gone too far, adding that they had never won anything.

Kewell, capped 58 times by Australia and a 240-appearance Leeds stalwart from their Champions League era, dismissed Grella’s profile. "Nope, nope, no idea," he said, before arguing the United States would not match Australia’s golden generation and questioning the standard outside Europe. Kewell remains the subject of backlash from Leeds fans for signing for Galatasaray, having been a Leeds player when Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were murdered before a UEFA Cup tie in Istanbul.

Current Leeds star Brenden Aaronson will hope for his first minutes of World Cup 2026 in Seattle after staying on the bench against Paraguay. He has also said he would like to face Argentina and his favourite player Lionel Messi on the way to the final.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk