Lucas Neill has been praised by Galatasaray and Australia teammate Harry Kewell.

The 32-year old has been impressive since joining the Turkish club from Everton in January and is set to lead the Australian national team when they compete in the World Cup in South Africa in June.

His teammate Kewell said that Neill had a great presence and had adapted well since changing clubs but was quick to point out that if the Socceroos were to experience success at the World Cup, the rest of the national team would have to get behind their skipper.

"Lucas has done exceptionally well and is going to be a major player for us in June. He's such a calm performer and he has a presence about him," Kewell said.

"But it's sometimes dangerous to put too much expectation on any player.

"For us in South Africa, it's going to be all about the team ethic and how much we sacrifice for each other as a whole."