Forget the tug-of-war with the Football Federation Australia over contractual fine points. Never mind the long and drawn-out negotiation process. Harry Kewell is here and all is forgiven and forgotten. Well, that will be the mantra adopted by many Melbourne Victory and A-League fans over the coming weeks.

Make no mistake. Kewell is not going to get a free ride on his arrival in the A-League. Media scrutiny will be intense on Kewell's performance and expectations will be high for the 32 year old. On the pitch, his every move will be analysed and discussed. He will be expected to deliver.

John Aloisi's first season as a marquee player at Sydney FC provides a good reference point for how quickly the tide can turn for returning Socceroos. Aloisi was savaged by media and fans alike for his form. Was it justified? Probably. The former Socceroo striker was on big money and failed to deliver.

So that begs the question: is Melbourne Victory taking a risk putting its faith in a 32-year-old who many pundits believe is injury prone and has seen better days?

Simply, the answer is no.

Kewell will be the most recognisable name ever to ply his trade in the A-League. He has the ability to attract and command the attention of AFL, rugby league and union fans where in normal circumstances they wouldn't give two hoots about the A-League. In essence he has the star power and media profile to boost not only the Melbourne Victory but the A-League as a whole.

‘Kewellmania' has only starting to build since his arrival in Melbourne this week but the effect is already evident.

The bold move is already paying off. A throng of media and fans greeted Kewell at Melbourne Airport on Monday after he arrived for Victory's pre-season training. Later that afternoon a packed press conference listened to the former Liverpool winger speak for the first time since making the move back home.

On Tuesday, Melbourne's largest-selling newspaper, the Herald Sun, carried a picture of Kewell on the back page (no mean feat in the middle of an AFL finals series) and he was again followed closely by a media pack on Wednesday when he trained for the first time with his new teammates.

Television and radio news bulletins have been saturated with news of Kewell's arrival.

It doesn't end there either. Arguably the biggest event of the week will come on Saturday. Kewell will be presented with his Victory jersey for the first time at AAMI Park in front of his adoring fans. That will be the A-League's money shot - Kewell donning the "big V" for the first time.

Kewell - coupled with the arrival of fellow Socceroo Brett Emerton - has generated a raft of publicity for the league, just three weeks out from opening day. The situation is in stark contrast to this time last year when dwindling crowds and lack of media exposure dogged the league's opening months.

Thanks to these two internationals, the A-League has been given the legitimacy it has sought for so long.