Kewell came out of retirement and a move to the Middle East to join the old Melbourne Heart in a controversial switch from his former marquee role with city rivals Melbourne Victory.

He hung up his boots for the last time after 16 appearances for the side just before they were bought by City Football Group and overhauled as a club.

Now Kewell - currently u23s coach with EPL-side Watford FC – admits he’d be tempted to return to Australia if he was ever given a shot at the top job there.

“People are asking that question, but you can only answer if you get offered,” he said in Sydney today alongside Arsenal and Brazil great Gilberto Silva and the Confederations Cup trophy.

“It’s a fantastic club. Even before City took over, even though it was a horrendous year for me with injuries, I enjoyed that club.

“It was like a family club. My family love Melbourne anyway so it would be interesting – and the fact that City took over…what a fantastic group to be taking over.

“Their ideas in football are fantastic and you can see what they are trying to create and hopefully it continues because they are going the right way about it.”

A move to City - coached until the end of the campaign by Michael Valkanis following the mid-season departure of John Van ’t Schip – would see Kewell reunited with former Socceroo team-mate Tim Cahill.

Kewell added: “I’m a guy that likes my own ideas in football. I see football my own way.  People say: ‘Are you going to wait for the right opportunity?’

“When is the right opportunity? Sometimes you have to go out there and take it.”

But he admits his ultimate goal is to coach in the Premier League.

“I always wanted to play at the highest level and it’s no different in my coaching career,” he said. “I want to manage at the highest level. 

“If that opportunity comes then it comes. I’m enjoying what I’m doing at Watford. It’s a fantastic club – they are very supportive. 

“It’s a fantastic place to work. You get to watch people like Quique Sánchez Flores closely who I got work with last year, and now to be able to sit down and watch Walter Mazzarri train, it’s fantastic. 

“The ideas that I’m picking up and then turning into my own ideas is something that I’m learning each day.”