HARRY KEWELL headed for a Swiss training camp to escape the rumpus over his &#xA3;5m move to Liverpool today insisting that Leeds "have come up trumps."

Australian midfielder Kewell has been accused of being a money grabber and stabbing Leeds fans in the back after nine years at the club.

But Kewell, described by Gerard Houllier as the "missing link" for his much-criticised Liverpool attack, claims that he does not owe Leeds anything and was not prepared to join a club he did not want to.

Kewell said, "I'm sorry to say that Leeds never offered me a new contract and never put actual figures and numbers in front of me for me to sit down and discuss.

"It's disappointing, I was there nine years and you expect a friendship with the club, but there was no friendship there. They didn't want to offer me a contract."

And Kewell also dismissed the theory that Leeds, who will get only &#xA3;3m from the deal, have been short-changed.

The 24-year-old added, "People love what they do. If someone asked you to go and be a road sweeper somewhere else and you didn't want to go, why should you have to do that, even if it was to get more money but something you didn't want to do?

"Don't get me wrong, the other clubs who came for me are great ones. But playing for Liverpool is my main aim.

"Why do I have to repay Leeds? They never bought me when I was young, they were only doing what they do with players and that didn't involve paying a big fee for me.

"In a way they have come up trumps. It's disappointing how the chairman at Leeds has portrayed me, but I can't do anything about that. All I can say is the fans there were always great to me, and I was grateful.

"It's been a shame the way it has panned out. I have left a great club and gone to a great club, it would have been nice for it to be all smiles and cheerful.

"But the last few days it has been blown out of all proportion. It has taken the shine away, but I'm just happy to be here now."

And Liverpool supremo Rick Parry has hit back at Leeds' claims that the club initially offered &#xA3;7m for Kewell but then lowered their offer.

The whole deal has been shrouded in controversy with Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie claiming Liverpool dropped the offer on the advice of Kewell's agent.

McKenzie has raised questions over where the &#xA3;2m saved has gone, but Parry insisted that it was never on offer to Leeds and it has not gone straight to Kewell.

He said, "I'm not sure I want to get drawn into a slanging match with Professor McKenzie, the discussions have been cordial and long may they stay that way.

"But no, we didn't make an offer of &#xA3;7m on July 4. I don't know what Professor McKenzie means, I just know the realities of the case.

"Harry here has turned his back on some huge offers over the last few days. Make no mistake, he has not come here purely for money.

"He's well rewarded and rightly so, but

once he had made up his mind to come to Liverpool he has stuck with that right down the line."