Jack Crosland writes about our 37 year old injured frontman
When a 36 year old Emile Heskey arrived on a trial at Euxton last season you would have struggled to find a Wanderers fan too happy with the news. Now we`re cursing his injury. It`s forced Neil Lennon into a rethink in his search for a striker with the daunting prospect of the hideously out of form Gary Madine as the clubs only fit front man. However with only 1 competitive goal to his name and usually only featuring for the first team from the bench, it would appear from afar that Emile hasn`t pulled up many trees at Bolton. Arguably that could be true, but in the much publicised difficult times at the Macron it`s nice to be reminded that there is still the odd good guy in the football world.
The often mocked, heckled and jeered ex-England International returned from the football wilderness to rejoin English football late last year. Neil Lennon made the bold call to team the big man up with 36 year old Eidur Gudjohnsen and the pair teamed up to bag the winner on Heskey`s debut against neighbours Blackburn. Que Twitter exploding, the re-emergence of ‘Heskey jokes` and even Paddy McGuinness turning up to wash his boots. What a start! Surely we had found the goal machine we`ve been looking for since Nicholas Anelka moved down South? Not quite. His debut goal remains his only competitive strike to date. Why is it then that he is so well liked at Bolton?
Well firstly, not many Ex-England Internationals would turn up at a Championship club for a trial, especially a club that they have no previous affinity to. Wayne Rooney on trial at MK Dons doesn`t seem likely somehow. Having to prove yourself at the later stages of your career, when you`ve played at a much higher level than the team you`re on trial at, might be too much of a dent to a player`s ego. Not only that, he sits on the bench most weeks watching Gary Madine toil in front of goal. It must test the patience of someone Liverpool paid an 8 figure fee for. But whether it`s for the last 15, 10 or 5 minutes of a game no one can fault the big man for his effort in trying to change the game, and he often does. Most International strikers would require a hefty salary to be still putting the shift Emile is at this late stage of a player`s career.
You could perhaps understand a footballer moving to a division less competitive than they are used to for financial gain, a final pay check in a glamorous location before retiring by the sea. Gerrard to LA Galaxy, Lampard to New York City, the list goes on. I can`t see that Emile is on a big wage at a club flogging car parks and not many would call Bolton town centre ‘glamorous`. You could easily forget that for almost Bolton`s entire preseason schedule, he played without knowing if he was going to get a contract at the end of it! Emile is here to play football and prolong his career. How refreshing in the modern game.
It`s about time Heskey is respected and given some credit. Here`s hoping he is back to full fitness sooner rather than later.