Sammie Szmodics grew up cheering on Harry Kewell and admiring his attacking play.

But this afternoon, the Colchester United forward will be hoping to inflict defeat on one of his idols.

As a young Liverpool fan, Szmodics loved watching Kewell scoring goals at Anfield in the Premier League.

Along with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, Kewell had an impact on the U’s attacker but he will have no room for sentiment when the former Australia international brings his Crawley Town side to the Weston Homes Community Stadium today, with League Two points up for grabs.

Szmodics said: “Harry Kewell is definitely someone that I look up to – I think any young Liverpool fan would.

“At the beginning of the season, Crawley didn’t start too well.

“But they’ve started to pick up points now and it’ll be a tough game.

“We need to come out raring (to go) and let Crawley know that they’re in for a game.

“We can’t start on the back foot – we have to be on the front foot straight away.

“We know that they’re a high pressing team, so we have to choose the right areas to play in.”

Colchester will be looking to bounce back to winning ways today, following their disappointing 1-0 defeat at Cambridge United last weekend.

Their game with Crawley is the first of two back-to-back home games for the U’s, with Chesterfield the visitors to the Weston Homes Community Stadium next Tuesday night.

“We knew that we didn’t really play well enough at Cambridge,” said Szmodics, who has scored three times in seven appearances for the U’s so far this season.

“We’d have been happy to have come away with a draw but this week has just been about recovery in the early part of the week and then preparing for the Crawley game.

“We know it’s going to be a hard game against Crawley.

“But our home form is excellent and the last time we played there in the league, we won 5-1 (against Forest Green).

“We’re looking forward to be backing at home and getting nine points from the next three games, especially with two of those games at home.”