Watford Under-21s boss Harry Kewell says claims that players need a break in order to avoid burnout are 'rubbish'

By the time he was 21, Watford youth coach Harry Kewell had played 140 times for Leeds United. It’s little wonder he rubbishes claims that players need a break.

“People always say players need rest,” the former Australian international says passionately. “They’ll say: 'He’s played 30 games this season. He needs a rest’. That’s rubbish.

“You look at the two best players in the world, how many games have they played over the last five years? Fifty or sixty games a season. They are your marker.

“When I was growing up my markers were (Eric) Cantona and others. Now it is (Cristiano) Ronaldo or (Lionel) Messi. If you want to be the best in the world that is what you have to try and achieve. You’ve got to match them.”

Kewell took charge of Watford’s Under-21 side this summer after ending his playing career last season.

He readily admits he is learning on the job but has been impressed by the youngsters in the Hornets’ Academy.

However, the 36-year-old is less enamoured with the amount of time Academy coaches get to spend with young players in Great Britain. 

He explained: “I am shocked to a point. In any other country you play five or six hours a day. It is your livelihood.

“But here there are rules that players can only train a certain amount of hours in the week. I know they are kids and they’ve got to have fun but they can have fun by playing football.

“Someone said there are rules about kids going out on the street and playing football without a coach. That is ridiculous. Just let them go out and kick a ball against a wall. It’s how they will get better.

“Why is a young player there [in an Academy]? To only train a little bit? It goes back to how much you want it. Go back and ask some of the best players to have played the game if they only trained one hour and went in. I guarantee they stayed out for two or more hours after training.”