Emile Heskey (Wigan Athletic)

From the Daily Mirror;

Emile Heskey is a shock target for Liverpool.

The England striker will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season and that has aroused interest at Anfield.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is considering bringing back the former Liverpool player in a cut-price deal.

Heskey knows he is in a great position regarding his future because he has just six months left on his current contract.

Asked whether other clubs will take notice, Heskey said yesterday: "Yeah, I hope so. It's a nice situation that I'm in but I'm still a Wigan player and I want to do my best for them.

"Everyone wants to be playing on these big stages and for their club to be in the Champions League."

Benitez is aware he could either get Heskey for a small fee in January or for nothing at the end of the season. The Liverpool boss sold Heskey to Birmingham back in 2004, but that deal was brokered by predecessor Gerard Houllier before his arrival on Merseyside.

Benitez has been impressed with the way Heskey has rebuilt his career since being shown the exit at Liverpool. The burly striker has forced his way back into the England side since arriving at Wigan and produced a string of impressive performances under Fabio Capello.

It would not be the first time the Liverpool manager has brought back a former player - Robbie Fowler's return to Anfield was a major surprise too.

And Benitez sees the possible capture of Heskey as a similar deal.

But he could face competition from Tottenham and Aston Villa.


I wouldn't mind having Heskey back, but with all this talk about us having to sell players in January to finance the interest payments, it's slightly unnerving.

I really don't see the need of bringing him back to Liverpool. I think Torres and Keane can do the business and if we need someone to do the donkey work then Kuyt is more than qualified to do it. I don't really see why we would need another striker at this point in time.

Added a poll.

This isn't the first time these rumours have been about.

I wouldn't mind him back on the form he's had lately, but that doesn't mean I've forgot how he was near the end of his Anfield career. He looked a faint shadow of himself confidence wise and this showed in his ability. Would it happen again if he was getting rested regularly?

Maybe a squad player in the Heskey mode could be of good use.

Cheers mate, I think Heskey's confidence has returned for good. He was on the bench for England a few times, and he seemed happy about it.

I hope he does return

The bottom line is, whoever plays along side Heskey bangs goals.. For pittance I don't see a problem with bringing him back..
Kuyt always plays on the wing and Raffa isn't likely to play Babel up front either. The gaffer doesn't look to keen on our young strikers yet and if Nando or Keane get injured I think theres definitely room to bring "our Emile" back.
Sounds a bit weird but for the overall benefit of the team I'd rather have Heskey back over Owen..  Taking into consideration wages and injury's..

He will be on Saturday

Other than that he would be a useful squad player

Sounds a bit weird but for the overall benefit of the team I'd rather have Heskey back over Owen..  Taking into consideration wages and injury's..

Same here mate.

Anyway, according to Rafa, he knows nothing of it?

Same here mate.

Anyway, according to Rafa, he knows nothing of it?

*sighs*.. Well, that pisses on my bonfire then..

Well, if it's worth it then it's okay. Free transfer, 25 assists, that's good

No rather see younger players developed personally, and what happens when he doesnt start every game.... his confidence goes down and then he plays terrible!

Good player indeed but come on guys, we can do better than Heskey! He's strong and powerfull, but we don't need that. He is playing at Wigan for a reason.

We should be after someone like David Villa, not Emile Heskey. Though I'd probably chose him over Dirk Kuyt.

Step in the wrong direction if Rafa brings back Heskey,he is having a purple patch at the moment,but i remember watching him at Anfield falling all over the place when touched by someone half his size! We need a support striker but he is not the solution,good enough for the likes of Wigan but not Liverpool.

OK
When Heskey played for Liverpool, he also played for England, and did not score...he was "cr@p", right,
now he plays for Wigan, and he also plays for England, and well does not score...and now he's "a missing link" and not not "cr@p"
can you imagine how great he would be if he played for Manure? A world beater? No still the same old Heskey who falls over alot.

Whoever voted not bothered need to think again. Do you support this club? Those should be bothered if Heskey comes here or not! It should be yes or no.

NOOOOOO.  We already have 1 forward that doesn't score many Goals Kuyt.  The team can't have 2.

If we needed a support guy to head balls down and take people away from Torres why did we get rid of Crouch.  And Crouch scored.

It's good to be rumoured about him 'cos he will play bad, he think that in january he will be at anfield. then sunday morning rafa goes out and says that we aren't interested in him.

Bollocks, bollocks and some more bollocks.

Not going to happen.

Ever.

kuyt is getting a bad rap on this thread....he scores important goals and does amazing things for this team....heskey could be the same way.....for another team!!!!  heskey should not return.....we have nowhere on the field for him, he is suited being a poor mans dirk kuyt.  i'm proud of him for restoring his career a bit but liverpool are moving forward, i am afraid heskey wont help us do that.   bunch of silly speculation if you ask me.   like it always is.

Bollocks, bollocks and some more bollocks.

Not going to happen.

Ever.

i'll take that as a no then?

The guy is a bulldozer. He flattens Terry and Ferdinand ... Torres gets flattened by Terry and Ferdinand. If we played Heskey as a super-sub Torres would put more than 33 away in a season 

I fail to see the logic in his signing?
His age is against him and it would therefore be a sticking plaster job for whatever role he would fill
Above all that I think the whole rumour is a load of plumbs

Bollocks, bollocks and some more bollocks.

Not going to happen.

Ever.

Agree.

Ask yourself the question:Is he the sort of player that is going to help us win us the Premiership?

Wigan striker Emile Heskey would welcome a return to Liverpool if the Reds make a move for him.

Recent speculation has linked England international Heskey, who spent four years at Anfield between 2000 and 2004 under former manager Gerard Houllier, with a January move back to Merseyside.

The 30-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to indicate a desire to sign a new deal at the JJB Stadium, which has alerted a number of clubs to a possible cut-price transfer in the New Year window.

And Heskey - who played a pivotal role in helping Liverpool secure a famous knock-out cup treble in 2001 - has now admitted that he would relish a working reunion with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

"When you are performing well speculation will come around," Heskey told Radio Five Live.
Options

"A move to Liverpool would be lovely. Who knows what will happen. Let's see how it goes.

"Everyone wants to play in Europe at the highest level.

"Everyone knows that I'm in the last year of my contract so speculation is bound to happen. You just have to take it with a pinch of salt and carry on playing.

"I am just going to keep my options open and give my all for Wigan. In my position I can afford to do that.

"I've been putting in some good performances and people appreciate that."

Wigan travel to Anfield on Saturday where Heskey will be charged with the task of ending Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season.