Kewell's wife explains Victory exit

Harry Kewell's wife Sheree Murphy sent a message to Melbourne Victory fans expanding on the reasons behind her husband's departure to England.

Kewell was expected to sign a two-year deal with the Victory, but announced on Sunday that he would return to England due to the illness of his wife's mother.

English actress Murphy took to Twitter on Sunday to explain why they made the decision to be near to her family.

"When we moved over to Melbourne last year, three weeks into our stay my mum was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer," Murphy said.

"It was a complete shock to me and my family ... I felt so torn as I was just about to start a new adventure with Harry and the kids but I knew my mum needed me.

"My 4 brothers and my mum felt it was best I stayed in oz (I was 7 months pregnant) with Harry and the kids and they would take care of my mum.

"Everything that could go wrong with my mums treatment did...she had a real battle and is still fighting.

"I don't want to go into too much detail as my mum is a very private person...as a family we have thought very long and hard about what to do for the best.

"Family will always come first over any job and I'm sure most of you will agree with me so we decided as a family that we would stay in the UK so I can take care of my mum.

"It's not been an easy decision,especially for Harry. It was a big ambition for him to come back 'home' and play and as a family we were all very much looking forward to living the Aussie life.

"We had a taste of the lifestyle and loved it. We made some wonderful friends in Melbourne and will cherish our time we had out there.

"We want to thank all the Melbourne Victory fans for your amazing support ... Harry will never forget the greeting you gave him at the airport."

Kewell has been strongly linked to Blackburn Rovers, a club relegated from the Premier League last season but based near the family's English home in Cheshire.