He owns a rented-out property in Wetherby, Yorkshire, and nearly found himself embroiled in a bitter dispute with residents over an untidy strip of grass land.

But this week his property agent, Philip Bartle of Tadcaster-based Bartle & Son, has confirmed Kewell will be appointing a landscape gardener to cut the overgrown grass and shrubs.

He told the Wetherby News: “My client will carry on the improvement and maintenance of the area and will appoint a gardening contractor to do the work on the land.”

Kewell’s neighbours claimed the overgrown open land should be tidied up as it was spoiling the look of the otherwise immaculate cul-de-sac.

But when they contacted Kewell’s property agent to express their concerns they were told to club together and pay for the gardening work themselves.

Moorlands Court resident, Sharon March, said last week that this was unfair due to most of the nearby neighbours being pensioners and widowers.

She said: “I really think it’s a bit of a joke that a multi millionaire that owns that property is expecting us to pay for it.

“It’s very untidy, rubbish gets into all the shrubs. It’s just a tip. The neighbours are going mad about it.

“There’s no way we’re going to pay for it – we’ve got much better things to do with our money.”

But Mr Bartle, said he had only ever suggested to his client that the residents make a contribution.

He said the land was often being used by the neighbourhood as a communal space and youngsters played football on it.

“In the circumstances I had thought it was only fair enough that the land used by many in the neighbourhood was maintained by everyone,” he said.