PLAYER PROFILE

Emile Heskey

Position: Forward

Height: 6'2

Weight: 13st 12lbs

Date of Birth: 1978-01-11 Leicester, England

Emile Heskey

Emile Heskey finally put his critics behind him in his first full season at Liverpool when he matured into one of the most explosive strikers in the FA Barclaycard Premiership, notching up over 20 league goals and establishing himself as a regular presence in the England side.

After much speculation Emile made his dream move to Gerrard Houllier's Liverpool side in March 2000 for a staggering £11million fee, which Gerard Houllier defended by simply insisting that Heskey would set Anfield alight.

Heskey made his debut in 1995 for his first club, Leicester City. He went on to be voted Leicester's young player of the year for the 1995/96 season. With power, pace and improving finishing, the two footed striker is more than a handful for any defence.

After being eased into the first team as a teenager at Leicester, Heskey forged an excellent partnership with Tony Cottee. However, at Liverpool he was often criticised for his lack of goals, though that did not stop him becoming a regular international starter.

After another mixed season at Anfield in 2003/04, Heskey left the club and signed for Birmingham City for £6.25m.

His first season at Birmingham saw Heskey rejuvinated. Without the superstars of Liverpool to battle with, Heskey was given time to breathe and continue to develop as a player. Despite a slow start to the season, he finished the campaign having played 38 games and scored 11 goals.

2005/06 was a very frustrating time for Heskey, with goals hardly flowing as Birmingham slid towards relegation and went down at the end of the season. However, in July 2006, he was back in the top flight after sealing a £5.5m move to Wigan Athletic.

His first season with Wigan Athletic was a success as he scored nine goals in 35 starts.

Despite a few injuries he continued this form in 07/08 and into 08/09, even winning his place back in the England team under Fabio Capello. In January 2009, he moved to Aston Villa for £3.5m, but struggled to produce his best form, despite scoring on his debut.