Reid hopes to tie up Kewell deal

New Leeds manager Peter Reid is hoping Harry Kewell will commit his future to the club after being confirmed as Terry Venables’ permanent successor at Elland Road.

Reid has been rewarded for steering Leeds to Barclaycard Premiership safety in his seven matches in charge with a one-year rolling contract.

And Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie reassured Reid that, despite the club’s heavy debts, players will only be sold as a last resort.

Reid, Leeds’ third manager in a year, is pleased he is not under pressure to sell and keen to resolve the future of Australian star Kewell, who has only a year on his current deal to run.

“I would be delighted if Harry Kewell put pen to paper with this club because he’s a quality player,” said Reid. “It’s a question that we’ll ask him – and hopefully we’ll get a positive answer.”

McKenzie expects the issue to reach a conclusion “in the not too distant future”.

He explained: “I met Harry’s agent (Bernie Mandic) and it was a greatly timed meeting, half an hour after West Ham won their game and before we played Arsenal.

“It wasn’t a sensible time for anyone to shake hands on a contract – but it was a very cordial discussion.

“We’ll be getting together as soon as Harry and his agent are ready – and I think Harry wants it settled pretty soon.”

On Reid’s one-year rolling deal, with incentives based on success, McKenzie continued: “There are incentives for winning things.

“If you are doing well and successful everyone should have fantastic pay - and I think the fans will accept that.

“Leeds United is a great club that has to succeed on the football pitch. Failure is totally unthinkable and as such Peter’s contract will be one of the most heavily incentivised in the UK football world.”

“The contract rolls which means this week he’s got a contract that lasts 12 months, unless I give him notice today – which would be interesting!

“Next week he will have 12 months. The contract rolls forward and he’s got 12 months at any time.”

Reid’s arrival as caretaker with eight matches remaining was greeted with scepticism by some Leeds fans.

But Leeds have taken 10 points from their seven games under Reid and fans and players alike seem to have warmed to him.

McKenzie said: “Over the past few weeks I have come to know Peter well. I have found he is not only a very good football manager, but also a great manager of people.”

Reid, who had a break from football management after losing his job at Sunderland, insists he is ready for the challenge of turning Leeds’ fortunes around after a troubled season.

“The rest has done me good and I feel ready to take on the challenge,” he insisted. I would like to sign off with a win and then there is a lot of hard work in the summer.”

Several Leeds players have come out in support of Reid in recent weeks and he relishes the task of getting more out of a squad that is perceived to have under-achieved this season.

“I’ve enjoyed working with the players,” said Reid. “Football management has a lot of aspects to it but ultimately what you get out of the players is the key because it gets you results.”

McKenzie, asked if it had been an easy decision to turn Reid’s caretaker reign into a permanent appointment, said: “It was made easier because we have established a special relationship over the last few weeks. He is a great manager of people.

“I don’t think I am an interfering chairman and I don’t think he is an interfering manager.

“Certainly we have begun to turn around the financial situation – it will take some time and it’s not going to be easy, but we are now on line.

“I’ve said to the Stock Exchange that my first requirement would be to make the books balance. Providing the fans come we should be able to do that by the beginning of the next season.”

Reid’s priority is that next season Leeds – defeated 19 times in the Premiership this season – become a harder team to beat.

“We’ve got to get back to basics. Getting beaten in 19 games is not good enough and we’ve got to improve that,” he said.

“We’ve got some really good players here and hopefully with the wheeling and dealing in the summer we’ll be able to get some more good ones in.”