Soccer: Kewell jury sent home

LONDON - The jury has been sent home for the night after failing to reach agreement in Australian soccer player Harry Kewell's libel case against former England captain Gary Lineker.

After four hours of deliberations at the High Court in London, the jury was still to decide whether Kewell should win his bid for substantial damages against Lineker for a newspaper article he wrote criticising the Australian's 2003 transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool.

In his Sunday Telegraph column, Lineker said he felt ashamed of the game and that Kewell needed to have his "head examined" after letting his manager Bernie Mandic earn £2 million ($5.17 million) from the £5 million deal.

Kewell accused Lineker and the newspaper of making him look like a fool and said the article implied he was a knave who acted dishonourably.

The panel of six men and six women will return to the High Court tonight (NZT).

- AAP