Emile Heskey – Wow! What a subject of discussion! Some like him. Some detest him. Most can’t work out how he still has a full time job as a footballer – so what makes him tick?
90% of fans don’t like him. He is jeered and booed all over the country. When your club is on the verge of signing Emile Heskey, fans of other clubs scoff and breathe a sigh of relief it’s not them. Even though all this goes on, Heskey, when fit, plays plenty of games. An £11m move to Liverpool in 2000 and a then club-record £5.5m move to Wigan in 2006 are not the kind of figures attributed to a poor player.
Managers love him
Heskey has had his fair share of clubs and fair share of options throughout the course of his career. He has been picked for the England team a total of 62 times and has been utilised by many, many managers. At Aston Villa alone, he has won the favour of Martin O’Neill, Gerard Houllier and now Alex McLeish.
Fabio Capello picked him as a starter for the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2010 ahead of Jermain Defoe. So if fans deride him so heavily, what do managers see in him that’s so different?
Players love him
Perhaps it has been the case in the past that people thought they were hallucinating when professionals spoke highly of Emile Heskey. But the truth is, throughout his career, he has received lavish praise from his peers.
The Owen-Heskey partnership at Liverpool was an incredible one and since then players seem to have echoed their managers sentiments about how good a player he is. Darren Bent has professed his adoration for Heskey’s play and companionship at the top end of the pitch and if the players love him so much – why don’t the fans?
What does Heskey bring to the table then?
First and foremost, you have to remember that playing football is a profession. You call your team mates colleagues and your manager boss. Just like in any other work place, there are relationships. Emile has the reputation of a true gentleman and from what you hear, he’s a pleasure to work with. He brings a positive energy to the work place because he is a ‘nice guy’, and people are happy plying their trade alongside him.
Despite his ‘donkey’ reputation, Heskey has acquired 62 full England caps and has played for one of the most successful teams in the world. The experience he has makes him a manager’s delight on the training ground and on the pitch. Young players will learn from him and he will talk players through the game. Let’s not directly compare him to the likes of David Beckham, but it’s the sort of aura of knowledge of the game he brings to teams that make him a decent acquisition.
But of course, the most important part of football is what gets done on the pitch. So what does he have in his locker that is able to excuse his poor finishing skills in front of goal and get his name into the starting XI?
It seems he is a good decoy. As stated previously, managers love him. Managers love having him in their team but managers don’t like facing him. He attracts attention, he draws defenders in because of his size and it leaves pockets of space all around him. Someone like Michael Owen or Darren Bent love playing alongside him because he creates them an extra yard. An extra yard for a player of their capabilities is enough to make the difference.
His positional play is very, very good. He can lead a line and shape a team. He sets the formation and dictates where wingers and central midfielders should be in relation to his position. If you watch positive phases of attacking play or goals carefully enough, Heskey will have been instrumental in them. He is still fairly decent with his head and so, with two traditional wingers on the pitch, he will net a few goals at least.
He is much maligned and often slated. His goal tally is not what it should be and strikers are judged on their goals. Or should I say; fans judge strikers on their goals. Clearly managers see past his lack of a predatory instinct and see the good in what he does elsewhere. Emile has said himself he takes pleasure in assisting and believes his game is about more than just goals.
Want to take a dive into the Emile Heskey debate? Does his all round play excuse his lack of goals or should he be solely judged on figures? Having recently stated he wants to play for a few more years yet, it seems we’ll be seeing his name for a while longer.
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