“Everyone would be gutted if he left,” Crawley defender, Mark Connolly, told Foxsports.

“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.”

The players believe Kewell revolutionised the culture at the struggling League Two side, only the second team from their region in the top-four divisions of English football.

Kewell's passing mantra and request for absolute dedication from his players has risen Crawley to 13th in the league, already surpassing their previous points total.

It's a long way from Kewell's first three months at the club, where dismal form and altercations with his own supporters saw Kewell hanging by the brink.

Now, Kewell's persistent links with the managerial role at eighth-placed Charlton Athletic are the only dampener on Crawley's phenomenal season. Club captain, Jimmy Smith, says the former Socceroo has given the club a new identity.

“Back in August I saw a newspaper story that predicted we would finish second from bottom in 23rd place so no one gave us a chance of doing anything,” Smith said. “I took a picture of the story and kept it on my phone to motivate me.

“But the manager has come in and helped us exceed all expectations. He gave us a new identity, a winning mentality, and we have come a long way under him.

“We are not silly, we know how football works,” says Connolly. “I can see the manager going on to bigger and better things, but I hope we can keep hold of him at Crawley Town for a little bit longer.”