Gérard Houllier is the right man to help Emile Heskey believe in himself again
“Sometimes I don’t think he uses his strength and speed with his skills enough. He scores goals if he gets the supply, but sometimes he needs to believe in himself a bit more.
“He has to be more consistent. He has good spells but he could be more consistent. It is a matter of belief with him.”
As brief assessments of Emile Heskey’s career go, it is right on the money, and few – probably not even the man himself – would have disagreed with these words, spoken by his then Liverpool manager back in 2001. Now, the pair have teamed up again at Aston Villa, and not much has changed in nine years.
Gérard Houllier’s relationship with Heskey has always been a close one – one that was almost too close for the Frenchman when he had to kick the forward off an Anfield treatment table as he suffered his life threatening heart problem in 2001 – and the Frenchman has always been able to get the best out of the often-criticised forward.
Despite frequent media calls for Houllier to team up Anfield idols Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen upfront during Liverpool’s record-breaking, trophy winning 2000/01 campaign, Heskey was the manager’s first choice. He rewarded his boss with 22 goals, only being surpassed as his club’s top scorer when Owen’s late brace beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.
Time has of course ravaged Heskey’s abilities – and possibly Houllier’s too – but there can be no doubt that the now 32-year-old forward would have been delighted to see his former boss and mentor fill the Villa Park vacancy left by Martin O’Neill – the other manager with a defining influence on his career.
In many ways, things couldn’t have worked out better for Heskey. Just as O’Neill appeared to have fallen out of love with his former Leicester City protégé – he was frequently left on the bench last season as the Northern Irishman preferred John Carew in attack – in walks Houllier, and a potentially Indian summer begins for both.
Heskey’s England career has been the stuff of crude pub jokes for over a decade, but he chose to bring it to a close after the summer’s World Cup, where he featured in all of his country’s games.
England’s underachievement led many – well, everyone – to look for scapegoats, with Heskey a common target after his good performances in the qualifiers were forgotten about. But the man himself has long been used to dealing with the insults and criticisms that came his way when he pulled on The Three Lions. His England record of 62 caps and seven goals were often quoted, but it is another number that is of most importance to him. He has five children.
“I’ve managed to keep myself sane so that’s all you can ask,” he said last week, in his typically understated manner. “I don’t know how I’ve managed to do it – a lot of kids! That’s probably one way.”
Perhaps leaving the England scene was always going to be the boost to his club career that was needed as he approaches veteran status, and reuniting with Houllier gives that career another shot in the arm.
Villa were a goal down to Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup last week when Heskey came on. He subsequently made two goals for Ashley Young and scored one himself as his side won 3-1. Yesterday, after starting his first league game since March, he brilliantly headed in an 88th minute winner at Wolves. Baby steps for the father of five yes, but a renaissance under his French boss could be on the cards.
“I don't know whether he believes in me but I believe in him,” said Houllier at Molineux.
Belief is the key word for one of the most enigmatic players in Premier League history.
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