Socceroos' team doctor Siri Kannangara, who helped Kewell manage his auto-immune hepatitis
has praised the player's approach to the condition.

"He's an exceptional guy. He would die for his country," Socceroos team doctor Siri Kannangara told News Ltd.

Only a routine check-up in 2002 revealed the condition and Dr Kannangara said it was vital that it had been discovered.

"He would not have had long to live - five years, maybe ten at the most. He would have been in dire straits and he wouldn't be here," Dr Kannangara said.

"He couldn't have continued playing, and his football career would have been finished years ago.

"But, if treated, and once you bring it under control, it's not life-threatening and you live a near-normal life. Obviously, you need to take medication, it's like a diabetic on insulin for life."

The doctor paid tribute to the way the player had dealt with the situation.

"A lesser person wouldn't be able to fight this; they would have curled up and died," he said. "Most other people would give up, but he never has.

"He's a gutsy little bugger, a fighter, and he'll fight to the end."