Heskey Retires from International Football
Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from England’s national team. Heskey earned 62 caps and scored seven goals for the Three Lions.
"I have enjoyed every moment of my England career and worn the shirt with pride every time I have been fortunate enough to have been selected," Heskey said.
Heskey’s last appearance was marked when he came on as a substitute in England’s 4-1 loss to Germany in the Round of 16 in South Africa's World Cup.
"I would like to thank every manager I have played under, everyone at the FA and the fans for all their support over the years. I wish the management team and the playing squad all the best for the future," said Heskey.
Heskey debuted in 1999 in a friendly game against Hungary. Perhaps his brightest moment came when he scored in a 5-1 rout of Germany. Overall though, he was regarded as a disappointment for the national team.
He has proven to be an effective player alongside Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, but Heskey's contribution to the team has been questioned by English supporters due to his scoring production, which had been lagging.
The Aston Villa striker appeared in the 2000 and 2004 European Championships as well as the 2002 World Cup.
Heskey is now 32 and Fabio Capello has been pushed to look for new stars heading into the Euro 2012 qualifying stage. Heskey may have just avoided overstaying his welcome. At least his retirement is honorable and he’s opening the door for new players to help England to glory.
The striker was always respected by players despite his struggle to find the back of the net. His presence proved to be a good decoy against opposing defenses while England found other ways to score.
Heskey has had two stints with England, the first coming to an end following Euro 2004 after a falling out with Sven Goran Eriksson. It was also seen as incredulous when Heskey won a recall under Steve McClaren as England failed to qualify for the 2008 Euro Cup.
Heskey joined the club when England was in danger of not qualifying. Sensing desperation, he made an immediate impact in the qualifiers against Israel and Russia as England won back-to-back games at Wembley and scored six goals. While Heskey did not score himself, he contributed greatly to the team’s improved performances and gave them a shot at qualifying. He received a further setback though as he was injured in the last three games, resulting in the Lions failure to qualify.
Heskey also performed well in the 2010 World Cup qualifying, but many felt he’d be ineffective in the finals. He made the team at the expense of in-form goalscorer Darren Bent, which brought more criticism.
Heskey may be seen as a disappointment, but his shortcomings don’t leave as much a mark for English supporters as the failures of Frank Lampard and John Terry. They are seen as national team busts and many fans cannot wait for their retirements.
John Terry may have the excuse of age as a way of explaining his shortcomings, but his actions in South Africa were despicable as he failed to be a leader for a mentally fragile team.
Overall, England were just an aged team in South Africa. David James, Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard are all in their 30s, with another nine-members of Capello's roster nearing that age. It’s a strong sign that Capello will have to rebuild the team if they are to be contenders in the coming years.
Heskey may be on the receiving end of criticism, but unlike some of his teammates, it has not been due to a lack of effort and English supporters can salute him for his hard work.
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