Why take Lineker to court over some trash wrote in a newspaper a few years ago?Harry you are making us Liverpool fans turning against you more and more, ffs I wish you would have consentrated on your career like you have on this court case.
UPDATE 1-Kewell tells court of shock at Lineker comments
By Roger Pearson
LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Harry Kewell began his libel action against former England captain Gary Lineker at the High Court on Wednesday, following comments about the Australia midfielder's move to Liverpool in 2003.
Both men were in court for a case in which a jury must decide whether a newspaper article written by Lineker after Kewell's switch from Leeds United was libellous.
The article said Kewell and his agent Bernie Mandic had "cleverly circumvented" rules on transfer negotiations, criticising the Australian for a deal that earned Mandic a fee of two million pounds ($3.68 million).
Opening the case, Kewell's counsel Andrew Monson told the jury that, overall, the article suggested Kewell had "willingly participated in a deeply dishonourable and financially dubious" transfer.
He said the phrase "cleverly circumvented" should be taken to mean rules were "knowingly" circumvented, while the criticism of Kewell indicated that he had allowed Mandic to "manipulate him to his financial detriment."
According to Monson, the article met the legal tests necessary to render it defamatory.
"A libel is a statement or comment about a person that makes you think the worse of that person or makes you think the less of him. It must be defamatory or detract from the person's reputation," he told the jury.
Kewell told the court from the witness box that after reading the article: "I felt like I was badly assaulted in a way.
"I was shocked, I was amazed at what he said. I could not quite believe it and said it can't be true."
Kewell said he could accept criticism of his football on the pitch but not of "disrespect for the game that I have loved since I could kick a ball", from someone as high up and respected in the game as Lineker who played 80 times for England scoring 48 goals.
"I am a very honourable person. I stand by my word and it hurt me that he can say things like that about me."
Kewell said he had come to court because he "did not want people out there to think I brought shame on the game - that my transfer blackened the game. I need the truth to be out there, that I did nothing wrong."
In addition to suing Lineker, Kewell is also suing the Sunday Telegraph publishers and the paper's sports editor, John Ryan, in a case expected to last seven days.
All three deny the article was defamatory.
Kewell, who learned his trade at the New South Wales Football Academy in Australia, joined Leeds in 1995 and blossomed into an exciting attacking player with the ability to create goals as well as score them.
Plagued by injuries, the 26-year-old has yet to live up to expectations at Liverpool, limping out of last month's Champions League final win over AC Milan after 23 minutes.
Lineker has become a popular BBC television presenter since his playing career as a prolific striker was ended by a toe injury in 1994 at the age of 33.
Twice voted England's Footballer of the Year, the 44-year-old's popularity off the pitch has grown since presenting Match of the Day with a sometimes wry sense of humour.
or something without resorting to legal action he may not have been so distracted. 
