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Harry Kewell says his injury-plagued five-year stay at Liverpool reduced him to tears at times as he admitted: “It was an absolute nightmare.”

The Australian winger suffered a succession of setbacks during his spell with the Reds – limping off during the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan and in the FA Cup final against West Ham 12 months later.

“I’ve had 14 operations and the majority were at Liverpool,” Kewell said.

“It was a nightmare. An absolute nightmare.

“You’d have an operation and you think ‘that’s it, that’s finished now’. I’m going to be brand new again.

The story of Istanbul

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“It doesn’t happen. An injury is like a jigsaw puzzle. You fix one area and something else goes.

“The bottom of the world is when you’re sitting on the end of the bed crying, and you’re going ‘am I ever going to play again?’ You’re sitting there going ‘what’s wrong with me’?

“Every time I’m kicking, I’m ripping a muscle. Every time I’m turning, I’m breaking down.

“I get back. I work hard for four weeks and I break down again. The pressure of people that keep going ‘what’s wrong’ with me.”

Kewell lasted just 23 minutes against AC Milan in Istanbul before being replaced by Vladimir Smicer.

“I put it all in to be at the highest level possible. As an Australian player the European Cup final is the biggest level you can ever reach,” he told ESPN.

“I got to achieve that only for it to come crashing down. You just want to fight, you just want to be there for your team and get their backs. But my groin snapped.”

Kewell, who is now under-21s coach at Watford, was speaking in Melbourne after becoming the seventh player to be awarded the Alex Tobin Medal, presented by Professional Footballers Australia for outstanding overall contribution.

“When things like that break you, you’ve got to find something inside you to get back,” he added.

“I’ve got a strong family behind me. My wife’s very strong. She got me through it.

“My kids are a big part too. People talk about winning premierships, they’re my four titles there.”