FORMER Oldham Athletic boss Harry Kewell has spoken of his delight at being back in management, after taking up the head coach role at National League side Barnet.

The Australian was sacked by Latics in March this year just seven months after succeeding Dino Maamria, with the club sitting just 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Kewell had overseen 11 wins in his 32 games at the Boundary Park helm. But only one of those was achieved in his last six games, leading to his exit and Keith Curle's swift appointment.

However, three months on, former Leeds and Liverpool winger Kewell is back in the hotseat, this time in north London having been tasked with turning around Barnet's fortunes.

The Bees, who finished second bottom, only avoided dropping into National League South after relegation was scrapped by virtue of coronavirus restrictions impacting on non-league football and the National League North and South seasons being declared null and void.

Kewell, who has replaced Simon Bassey and will work alongside head of football Dean Brennan, knows it will be a challenge.

But it is on the 42-year-old is keen to sink his teeth into, after admitting he missed the cut and thrust of football management following his Latics exit.

"I love this side of the sport. People say it's a tough job, and it is a tough job, but I love to be a part of it, I love to be involved in the club, the way that the game is being played," said Kewell, who has previously managed Crawley and Notts County.

"The opportunity that Barnet has given me to come back into it is something that I couldn't refuse, the opportunity was so good.

"For me it's exciting to be back on the phone, talking football, being able to negotiate and speak to players. I love it. I love being part of it. But I know the road ahead is going to be tough, I'm not expecting it to be easy.

"Me and my team are ready to do the hard work, we just need to get the rest of the jigsaw together and make sure that we have a better season than what we've been used to.

"This is a new background staff so we are coming in with a kind of clean slate. We've sat down and spoken about how we want to approach the league, how we want to play, what type of players we want to bring in, so now it's down to us all working together, and if we can work together and bring that type of player in it's only going to help us.

"That's the good side of it because now we've got time to focus in on that type of player, whereas I've been in clubs before where it's been rushed and you've got to kind of work it out. This time here now we're doing it properly."

Speaking to Barnet's club website, Kewell added: "It's a project, but we have to hit the ground running and we know that every manager is only as good as his last game. We have to be cautious about that but we're working hard now to get the type of player that we need that we feel can push and have a better season."

Kewell is keen for the fans to play their part in what he has described as "a project" at The Hive London, and is looking forward to welcoming them back to the stadium after a season without them made him appreciate their importance.

"I really took a step back this year knowing how much football actually missed fans," said Kewell, who managed all his games at Boundary Park behind closed doors.

"Fans are so important not only for football itself but for teams as well. They are the 12th man, they do drive teams forward, they do bring life and soul into a football game.

"When you have an empty stadium it's just not football, is it?You need fans in there and I'm really looking forward to seeing fans, home and away."