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BWFC: Old And Older

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A timeline of our new strike partnership of Shola Ameobi and Emile Heskey

Our latest acquisition, Shola Ameobi is just 34 years old. His signing was somewhat of a surprise given that he was on trial and was not offered a deal a few weeks prior as he was deemed to similar to Emile Heskey and Gary Madine (in that he’s a big physical demanding striker). Before I go into the article, I’d like to say that I’m very happy to have Ameobi here- while he’s infamously unprolific he has proved that he can score goals regularly in the Championship- his goal against Leeds brings him up to 11 from 19 in this division. I also feel that his addition solves a problem that needed solving- Madine just seemed unable to consistently carry out the role of a target man and while his finishing hasn’t been great so far, I see him as somewhat more of a poacher. Heskey is great at what he does, he’s just not mobile enough as you’d expect from someone in their late 30’s. Ameobi has always struck me as a hardworking, rounded striker and I think we need that- he can do what Heskey and Madine can’t. While yes, we can’t afford a huge stockpile of strikers and he is another one of the ‘physical variety’ I feel that within all of our young strikers (all of whom are small, nippy and good finishers) we can find the answer alongside Ameobi and I feel that Max Clayton would be his ideal strike partner, but Lennon seems to see him as more of a winger.

Anyway, Shola Ameobi made his professional debut the 9th of September 2000. Exactly 40 years after Colin Firth was born (I did look these up, I’m not full of weird stats, more of which to follow) and if we put it that way, he’s not that old is he?

He’s played 294 Premier League games and scored 43 goals. He’s also set the record for the highest number of Premier League substitute appearances.

Meanwhile, on the 8th of March, 1995 Emile Heskey made his Leicester City debut this team included the likes of Neil Lennon and Garry Parker, manager and first team coach respectively of Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers. Heskey went on to sign his professional contract just months later and 5 years and two days after his professional debut he signed for a team called Liverpool ,who I’m told aren’t very good, for 11 million.

What many people don’t know (or didn’t know before he became famous) was that on that very same day- 8th March 1995, Zach Paul John Clough was born in Denton.

Both Heskey and Clough would go on to play together 20 years later for Bolton, one being a 37 year old target man and the other a 20 year old small, wily trickster.

Heskey was first called up to the England senior squad in November 1998. Three months later, AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was born. The 16 year old has already played and won a match in the Serie A.

Meanwhile Ivanhoe has played 540 Premier League games and scored 111 goals (which by the way is far far better than people give him credit for!)

Anyway, those were a few random stats that will hopefully get you thinking about things other than our league standing. Oh dear, I’ve just reminded you.

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