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EMILE HESKEY 2000-04 by Alex Woo Date of Birth - 11/01/78 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 223 Goals - 60 Club Hons (Lpool) - FA Cup 2000/01, UEF Cup 2000/01, League Cup 2000/01, 2002/03 International Hons - England caps Other Clubs - Leicester, Birmingham, Wigan, Aston Villa Liverpool broke their transfer record to pay £11m for Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey in March 2000. It ended a long pursuit of the powerful forward who had broken on to scene under the guidance of Martin O'Neill at Leicester City. Not since Roy Evans signed Stan Collymore in the summer of 1995 had Liverpool paid such a large fee for a player, and looking back over their respective careers, they probably both went a similar way. Though still relatively young when he signed for the Reds, Heskey's goalscoring record was far from prolific, with him rarely getting more than 10 goals a season in his career up to that point, and having a poor record for the national side. He did possess the raw attributes to become an accomplished striker though, with frightening strength and electric pace, he was a defender's nightmare. Well he would have been if he didn't go down more than a Thai ladyboy in a 'massage' parlour. However, in his first full season at Anfield, Heskey was fantastic. He scored 22 goals, and created countless others for the team. Emile played a big part in Liverpool winning the treble that season, and appeared to put to bed any fears the fans may have had about him. His unselfish work in setting up his team mates stood out just as much as his strike rate, and he looked like he would press on and become one of the best strikers in Europe. After that historic season, the goals started to dry up for the big man. He managed only 13 in his following season, although he did form a strong partnership with Michael Owen, with Emile's style of play being the perfect compliment for Owen's predatory instincts. The pair replicated that form for England aswell, although like it was for Liverpool, Heskey's goal return was disappointing. The fans started to lose patience with Emile in Houllier's latter years, with the forward often being criticised for his lack of goals. GH defended Heskey though, by stating how many goals the forward helped create on a regular basis. Michael Owen also took a similar stance, and said Emile is a major reason why he scores so many goals. It seemed Heskey lacked the desire and the temperament to really succeed at the top level, and the striker's Liverpool career went sour towards the end. He seemed to go to ground far too easily, and often appeared to feign injury to be substituted in games he struggled in. When Gérard Houllier left the club in the summer of 2004, it came to no suprise that Heskey soon followed, moving to Birmingham City for an initial fee of around £3.5m, rising to £6m. Emile continued to struggle for form at Birmingham, and eventually moved to Wigan in 2006 for £5.5m, after only scoring 16 goals in two seasons at St. Andrews. Although his goal return dropped, his overall form for Wigan improved, with Emile's hard work and general play making him a fan's favourite at the JJB Stadium. This form didn't go unnoticed by Steve McClaren and later Fabio Capello, and after a three year absence, Heskey was recalled to the England squad, and has done well for the national side whenever called upon. There was serious interest from Rafa Benitez in bringing Heskey back to Liverpool in the winter of 2008, as Robbie Keane's form had been erratic, and the Reds needed cover for Fernando Torres. Thankfully, Martin O'Neill swooped and reunited Emile with him, this time at Villa Park in a £3.5m move. It's fair to say that Heskey's career with Liverpool was disappointing, as it initially promised so much, but he did play a major role in the Reds winning several trophies under Gérard Houllier, and he will always be remembered fondly for that. More info on Emile Heskey: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future