Hit by injuries and a ‘flu epedemic’, Leicester City turned out for their midweek Premier League game at Loftus Road with six changes from the side which had drawn with Everton on the previous Saturday, and gave a central striker’s debut to 17-year old first year trainee Emile, who acquitted himself very well under the circumstances, and would probably have won subsequent selections but for suspension resulting from a County Challenge Cup dismissal against St. Andrews on the interim Monday!
A heftily build 6ft 1in attacker, Emile won four caps for England’s Under 16 schools side, and looks a prospect of immense potential, and indeed he made a name for himself in football after this modest debut building on his single appearance of the 94/95 season and added 30 league games in the next as he established himself as a certainty in the team under Martin O’Neill’s era at the club.
Emile was a clear and very important player in that 96/97 season back in the top, seeing 9th place finish and also adding a winners medal of the EFL Cup to his name. Emile just continued to evolve and his presence made Leicester City a club to count again.
He also managed to score a number of goals as Leicester City established themselves, and reaching another EFL Cup final in 99 and returning in 2000, picking up a new winners medal after the 2-1 win v. Tranmere Rovers.
Emile had for long been a buying option for other clubs and when Liverpool came around with a check of £11million, it was time to say goodbye and with full England recognition achieved as well his days were over at Leicester City with Anfield now being the new home. He stopped on 154 league appearances in which he scored 40 goals.
Embed from Getty ImagesLiverpool came next and he stayed at Anfield for the next four years, playing 150 league games and scoring 39 goals, despite his stay with The Reds not seen as “very successful”. Strangely really as he picked up an FA Cup winners medal, one from the UEFA Cup and also adding two more EFL Cup winning campaigns to his name.
Emile did keep his place in the England set up and was part of the that squad before, during and long after his time at Anfield adding up a total of 62 caps, also appearing in the Euro’s and World Cup’s while playing on at Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa, rejoining Martin O’Neill at Villa Park.
After an adventure abroad and “Down Under” at Newcastle Jets, Emile returned to England and played his latter years of football with Bolton Wanderers before his retirement from the game in 2016, an omen maybe, but that same season we all know what happened at Leicester City.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmile has indeed returned to Leicester City and today seen as a member of the ambassador system at the club, concentrating on the development of young female players at the club and using his background to teach and knowledge those individuals.
FACTFILE:
- Full Name: Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey
- Position: Forward
- Date of Birth: 11.01.1978
- Birthplace: Leicester
- Nation: England
- Caps / Goals: 62/7
- Major League Career:
- 1995-00, Leicester City (154/40)
- 2000-04, Liverpool (150/39)
- 2004-06, Birmingham City (68/14)
- 2006-09, Wigan Athletic (82/15)
- 2009-12, Aston Villa (92/9)
- 2014-16, Bolton Wanderers (45/3)
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