Now he is gone.

Harry Kewell bid a fond farewell to his playing career at AAMI Park on Saturday night playing all 90 minutes and turning on a selfless, consummate performance as his Melbourne Heart side fell 3-2 to Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Wanderers scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to snare second place on the A-League ladder with both Kewell and his coach John van ’t Schip critical of the referee’s role in Brendon Santalab’s equalising goal.

When asked post game if retirement had sunk in yet, Kewell responded that "it may never sink in".

At times in his career Kewell was called selfish, but his role for the Heart all season has been that of a creator as he showed in his final match.

The Heart led 2-1 with 80 minutes gone after Kewell’s pass set up a stunning strike from Dutch import Orlando Engelaar in the first half and Jason Hoffman scored his second-half goal.

Both goals were taken with left-foot strikes, the same side of the body that Kewell excelled with over his career, while Engelaar’s celebration saw him bear hug Kewell with great warmth.

The 35-year-old Socceroos winger almost scored a fairytale final goal but his 62nd-minute volley from inside the box was saved by his 2006 World Cup teammate, Wanderers keeper Ante Covic.

Kewell and Covic embraced post game sharing a smile that suggested a playful exchange.

"I offered to take Ante out tonight but he is not coming now," Kewell joked.

"He was doing his job, I was doing my job and he has pulled off two top saves back-to-back. It shows what a great keeper he is."

Things are changing at Melbourne Heart after Manchester City purchased the club and the small signs of the blue incursion were on show pre-game with City manager Manuel Pellegrini and Kewell’s former Leeds United teammate James Milner, now also at City, offering video tributes while City’s 1.6 million twitter followers received a tweet from the club’s official account wishing Kewell a fond farewell.

Kewell came out to loud applause from a bigger-than-usual Heart crowd of 10,003.

Fox Sports "miked up" Kewell for his introduction and both the Heart and Wanderers players sheepishly formed a guard of honour for him.

Kewell wasn’t the only player saying goodbye, with Engelaar walking out with his three children as he is expected to move on next season.

With his four kids around him, Kewell strode out for his 514th game and met his ovation with the customary overhead clap to all four corners.

It wasn’t Smithfield, Sydney where he grew up, Leeds United where he learnt his craft, Anfeld, Liverpool where he played in UEFA Champions League and FA Cup finals or Tehran, the MCG or Stuttgart where he scored unforgettable goals for the Socceroos.

Instead it was AAMI Park, the generic home of Melbourne’s rectangular field teams.

It took three Fox Sports stage hands to take off his microphone pack before the game could begin but Kewell, ever the pro, was a willing helper and made the process look smooth enough.

Kewell slipped into a central attacking role and moved around Heart’s attacking half with freedom making a cheeky back-heel pass to Engelaar at halfway.

Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic cannoned into Kewell’s back in a heading contest leaving Kewell sprawled on his stomach, a knock he was still feeling post game.

On full-time Kewell received applause and hugs from players on both sides and even received a rousing ovation from the Wanderers’ 500-strong supporter group – people from the same part of Sydney he grew up in.

"They set the mark with the way they support their team – that reception was superb," Kewell said.

Kewell ended with a sore back, an assist, a yellow card but no points, yet he played the full 90 minutes.

He left the game on his feet and on his own terms.