Emile Heskey interview: Adios Alexander-Arnold!

In an exclusive interview with Instant Casino, former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Trent Alexander-Arnold is destined for Real Madrid.

The England front man lays the blame at his former club, telling Instant Casino that he is baffled Trent wasn’t offered a new contract earlier.

Premier League observations

Question: Is it Liverpool’s title to lose?

Emile Heskey: “It’s definitely Liverpool’s to lose because of the position they’ve managed to put themselves in. The Man Utd game reminded me of last season’s FA Cup game, everyone was even going into that one saying that Liverpool are going to win it 5 or 6-0. United won that, didn’t they?

And then the league game at United as well, they won. United are looking like a team that, away from home, are not too bad. But they’re still on rocky grounds.

If there is one game that they could really get the United fans back on their side is a game against Liverpool and they did that. You’ve got to give it to them, they played some good football. Liverpool weren’t at the races. The funny thing is you shouldn’t be turning up to games against United thinking that its won before a whistle starts, but it looked that way.

Liverpool are in a powerful position right now where they’ve got everything in their own hands. Do I expect them to drop any points? I don’t. But as we know with the Premier League, the reason we love it is because we know teams at the top will slip up at some time, and it will be the one that no one expects.”

Q: Who do you think can sneak into the top four?

Emile Heskey: “At the beginning of the season, I said Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
OK. I will throw a spanner in the words. Forest are going fantastic, but how long will that go on for? It looks like another Leicester-City-win-the-league kind of thing. I think Newcastle will sneak in somewhere. I do like the way they play; I do like Isak. I do like how strong they are, how powerful they are.

If one of them was to drop out of the top four, it would be Chelsea. I just think the unfamiliarity of a manager knowing how to get them over the line, and the consistency to have to get them over the line, I think that will be their undoing, if anything.

Forest have been outstanding. I think Nuno’s done brilliantly, but I think that’s the peak for them. I can’t see them staying up there and being in the top four in May. To be fair, it’s been a fantastic ride for them.”

Q: What do you think has been the effect of Maresca saying Chelsea are not in the title race?

Emile Heskey: “I think they’ve struggled because again, when your manager is saying that you can’t win the title, I know he did it to take a bit of pressure off, but you want to actually feel empowered as a player as well. Constantly saying that you’re not in a title race when you’re sitting second in the league, and you’re the one team who was closest to the league leaders at time playing some really exciting football, I think you’re then sending the wrong message to your players. He should be saying to his players, ‘We are in a title fight.’ He should have given them a lift. I think by saying you’re not in a title race, it gives the players a bit of an excuse when they drop points, it sends the wrong message.”

Q: We’re at the halfway stage of the season, who are the three strikers that have really stood out for you in the Premier League so far?

Emile Heskey: “Chris Wood. I think he’s done fantastically, because, obviously I’ve seen a little bit of him at Leicester. I don’t mean it in a negative way, but some people could say Wood’s been a bit of a journeyman in terms of playing where he’s played. He’s played for a lot of different clubs and he’s never produced a season like he’s having at the moment.

He’s always had the ability and basically, we know if you supply any striker they score.
If you go around the world and you’re looking at strikers, in my era we had so many strikers. If you go around now you really struggle to pick out ten strikers. In my era you could not only pick out ten, but you could pick out ten from different styles of strikers. Now I think with the way that he plays, it’s coming back round. You’re screaming out for a striker that can hold the ball up. You’re screaming out for a striker who can actually be a menace in the box.

And it’s coming back round now and he’s landing on his feet in that sense. Because the only other one who is possibly like that is Erling Haaland. Hojlund is a little bit similar, but he’s having a tough time and is still learning the game. It’s not just him who’s having a tough time, the whole club’s having a tough time. But I would say Wood is primed to really reap the benefits of an era that is devoid of many good strikers like that.

I would also say Isak. He is fantastic. He gives you so many different dimensions as well. When I started playing as a forward you had to run the channels, you had to do this, you had to do that. When you’re talking about defending from the front, it wasn’t just the centre-backs, you had to take care of the left-back and the right-backs, the full-backs. He seems to be a throwback in that sense, he wants to do the lot. He’s not just getting in behind, he’s not just coming to feet, he can take people on, he can run with the ball and carry his team up the field.

I think, when you’re talking about all-round strikers then Isak is the best in the Premier League. He does everything that you want from a striker, he produces. He scores goals. He can run with the ball. He’s got a good shot. He can play people in. He can hold the ball up.

You’ve got your obvious one with Haaland as well.”

Q: Who would you consider to be the best player in the Premier League so far this season?

Emile Heskey: “It’s difficult to actually look further than Mo Salah. Numbers wise, I know there was a lot of talk about him, he didn’t necessarily have a great game against United, but he still scored.

And the reality is, as a manager, if you’re 1-0 down and he’s having a stinker, do you take him off? You don’t take him off. You know he’s going to get you a goal somehow.
I would say Mo Salah is probably my standout in that sense.”

Q: On the other side of the coin, who is the player or players that have been the biggest flop/you’ve expected more from this season?

Emile Heskey: “Bruno Fernandes. I’ve seen the seasons gone by where he’s scoring, and he’s really been carrying them a little bit. With the captain’s armband as well, you’re expecting a little bit more. He can’t do it on his own, I get that, but as a captain, I want to see a bit more drive. I want to see a bit more leadership. I don’t think he’s given that.

For a captain, one good performance like he produced against Liverpool in however many is not good enough really. The minimum for any player is to run around, tackle, be aggressive. The captain has to do more, he has to lead from the front and set the standards for others to follow. I don’t think he’s necessarily been that.

It’s been a tough season for them, hasn’t it? I don’t know even where to put my finger on why it’s all gone so badly. It’s not just like one bit, everything’s just capitulated. It’ll be interesting to see what the future looks like under Ruben Amorim.

They had a really good result against Liverpool, and yes, they probably could have won it at the end with the Maguire chance. But all in all, Liverpool squandered a few chances as well.”

Q: The Premier League is full of young talents. Who is the player or players that you’re most excited by and looking forward to develop over the coming seasons?

Emile Heskey: “I like Amad Diallo. I like him a lot. In the FA Cup last season, against Liverpool, he was fasting at the time, and he was still one of the best players on the pitch.

Inevitably there’s times where a team needs a player to stand up and he’s been that player. I think he has been outstanding for Man United, in a poor side. So, it would be interesting to see him develop

He looks like the one player in that United team that Ruben Amorim can trust and rely on. He’s definitely a player that he will be looking to build around at Manchester United.”

Q: Who do you think are the Premier League managers looking nervously over their shoulders over the coming weeks and who is the most likely to face the chop in your opinion?

Emile Heskey: “Well, I think Sean Dyche at Everton, I think he would be one that’s on everyone’s mind. In terms of the next manager to lose their job. Whether Everton can (make a change), when you’re looking at financial fair play and so on, everything’s got to be put into the mix. So, the question is, if you’re a firm believer and he keeps them up, what’s the point in spending that money now? Because they’ve got a new stadium as well.

Can they keep Calvert-Lewin fit? And yeah, it’s a tough time for them right now to understand what it is that they want and what the ambition is of the new owners.

You can’t be going to a new stadium in the Championship. That is certain.”

Q: Currently, the three promoted clubs are sat in the relegation places. Which clubs are in danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap with them?

Emile Heskey: “Everton and Palace will be looking over their shoulders, Wolves are in their scrapping now. At the beginning of the season, I had the three who came up going down as well. Inevitably, if you can’t spend a lot of money to reinforce what you’ve got, it’s going to be a very, very long season.

We’ve seen a massive jump from the Championship up into the Premier League. It’s not like when I was playing where you could battle with them. You look at what Southampton did last season compared to what they are now. It’s tough.

Everton could get dragged into it. They’ve had a tough, tough time. They’ve had the takeover. Can they spend some money to reinforce, to actually breakaway from the bottom? The bottom three will be desperate to pull other teams into the fight, the last thing any of them want is to be cut adrift. When you’re down there, you’re constantly looking at other results and that’s draining. That’s one thing you don’t want.

I think Southampton are gone, but if you’re one of the other teams and you can put two or three wins together on the spin, you’re suddenly in a really, really good position.”

Strikers and transfer rumours

Q: Alexander Isak is a man in demand. Arsenal are reportedly very keen on the striker – can you see Newcastle letting him go in January?

Emile Heskey: “I think Arsenal fans are living in dreamland if they think that they can sign Alexander Isak in January. The thing is, Newcastle are legitimately chasing top four. If I’m Eddie Howe, do you seriously think that I’m going to sell my best player to a rival? There’s no love lost between Newcastle and Arsenal, so why would they want to do them a favour.

I think it would take stupid money, crazy money to get Isak out of Newcastle in January. Even if they want him in the summer, you’re talking over £100 million. Will they try for him in the summer? Maybe, but who’s to say he wouldn’t want to stay at Newcastle, especially if they can secure Champions League football.

If Newcastle do qualify for the Champions League, I can’t see them selling any of their best players.”

Q: Do Newcastle need to qualify for the Champions League to hang on to Isak?

Emile Heskey: “For every player, the Champions League is where it’s at. It’s the pinnacle in club football.

So, I think to keep a player like that, there might be a gentleman’s agreement between him and the club where they will allow him to leave if Champions League football isn’t on the St. James Park menu.”

Q: We all know that Marcus Rashford is available. Do you think a change of scenery is what Rashford needs to get his career back on track?

Emile Heskey: “It looks like it. It looks like Rashford needs a change of scenery. He’s probably got a bit cozy, a bit too comfortable at United. He probably needs to leave, even if it’s just out on loan for six months.

I want to see him really knuckle down and focus on his football to regain that love for the game. Does he look like he loves the game when he’s on the pitch? Probably not. It happens at times with some players. So, when that happens, players sometimes need to go away and find that love somewhere else.

Is it the end of his United chapter? It looks that way to be honest, but there is a slight chance that he goes out on loan, enjoys his game and comes back into the club with a new lease of life. I think that is really unlikely though, it doesn’t look like he’s loving his football at United. A clean break is the most likely option, and I think there will definitely be Premier League interest in him. Doing a deal could be tricky given his wages, but if he can find his enjoyment in his game again, then he would be a good addition for someone.”

Q: Can you see a Premier League club making a move for him in the transfer window and is there a club that he would suit in your opinion?

Emile Heskey: “No, I don’t think there will be a Premier League club that will take him in this window.
I don’t think Arsenal would take him in this window. I was thinking more abroad, more Spain or France, and I actually think that a move abroad could be the best thing for him.

Go and play. Go and regain that love for football. We look at other players that have done it before and then they’ve come back and have really hit the ground running. There’s no reason why he can’t do that as well.”

Q: Another player that has been linked with a January exit is Brighton’s Evan Ferguson. He’s been linked with the likes of West Ham, Fulham and even Arsenal – obviously, he’s got bags of potential, but we haven’t really seen him kick on because of injuries and limited minutes. What are your thoughts on Ferguson, and do you think a January move is likely?

Emile Heskey: “He’s a young lad, full of energy, hungry, he can score goals. I was very surprised when they were talking about him going out on loan, because having seen what he’s done before. I think he could do really well for another club. Arsenal, probably not, but other sides, probably.

I actually think he would be perfect for my old club Leicester City. I would love to see him join the club for six months and what a great opportunity it would be for a young forward to work with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was one of the best in the modern era. Of course, he’d be under no illusions that it would be a bit of a scrap, but I think a move to Leicester could be a move that ticks all boxes.”

Q: Apparently, Ruben Amorim is demanding that Viktor Gyökeres joins United in January. What are your thoughts on him as a player – obviously his numbers since joining Sporting have been fantastic, but do you think he is a player that would suit the Premier League and Manchester United?

Emile Heskey: “His record in Portugal has been phenomenal. Well, I think when you’re a manager and you’ve had a player at another club and you look at their traits, you look at their qualities, you look at what they’ve got and then you decide. Could he come into the Premier League and do a job? I think yeah.

I’m sure the player would have looked at it himself and said, ‘Yeah, I was at Coventry, did really well there, ripped it up, can I do it? And I want to challenge myself in the Premier League.’

It’s one of the biggest challenges as well, because you’re going to arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world when they are doing well. You’re going to be the focal point of a team where all eyes are going to be on you. So, when you come in now and you’ve got this big, huge reputation, everyone’s going to be looking at you and say, ‘OK, let’s see it.’ And we all know what social media is like. We all know what the press can be like.

As a manager, I think it’s huge when you’ve got a player that you know, a player that you can trust – someone you know what they’re capable of doing. He would be loving the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League. He’s played obviously in the Champions League and done really well.”

Q: Victor Osimhen is another name that has been linked with a move to England. It seems unlikely that anyone will be able to get him in January given his loan with Galatasaray, but where do you rank the Nigerian striker and do you think he would be a good fit for the Premier League?

Emile Heskey: “I think Victor Osimhen would be a great option. I don’t think he joined a club in the summer on a permanent deal because the transfer fee was ridiculous, wasn’t it? They outdid themselves thinking that someone was going to pay crazy money for him, but with PSR, with everyone trying to make cuts rather than actually just spending ridiculous amounts again, Napoli got that approach wrong in the summer.

They put Osmihen on a huge wage and obviously put his transfer fee up as well. I think it’ll be a great option for someone. He looks like he’s tailor-made for the Premier League.

When Leicester played Napoli a few years back, he was brilliant. He was scoring goals, and I was thinking, ‘There was no chance there, so how has he actually scored from that?’ He’s a deadly striker.

He’s an athletic lad who can get around the pitch and that’s one of the things about the Premier League that people forget. You’ve got to be very athletic and very mobile to play in the Premier League and he’s got that.

He’ll definitely interest a lot of clubs. Chelsea were linked in the summer, Manchester United have been linked recently. He would be a good fit for both of them.”

Q: Cristiano Ronaldo, his Saudi contract expires in the summer, he wants to play until he is 40. Can you see him coming back to Europe? Could he be a good option for a Premier League club?

Emile Heskey: “I can’t see him coming back to Europe unless someone thinks it’s more of a commercial deal than anything else. Coming back to Europe, players who are 30 and doing really well are struggling to get new contracts, Mo Salah being the biggest name, so I don’t think he’ll come back to Europe. But I still think he could do a job, absolutely.

Another name that has been in the rumour mill for the last few months is Paul Pogba. Could you see him returning to the Premier League? Would he still be able to cut it at Premier League level?

Anyone would take a punt on Paul Pogba, but it’s where Paul Pogba feels that he’s going to be valued. You look at Ross Barkley going to Luton and then getting the move to Villa. So, is he willing to go down to come back up, and is he willing to drop that far, because the top eight clubs, I’m not sure if they’ll take him. There’s no doubt he’s got talent.”

Liverpool and Manchester United

Q: Which current Liverpool striker would you most like to have partnered?

Emile Heskey: “We played with two up front, so it’s difficult to say now. Probably Diaz or Jota, because I could be more of a focal point where they could float around. I think someone like that would suit the way that I play.”

Q: Do you think Salah is giving so many interviews to force a contract agreement with Liverpool?

Emile Heskey: “I think he’s just trying to speed that timeline up. It’s like, let’s stop playing silly games now. Let’s get this all sorted. I think he looks so comfortable.”

Q: Slot has kept everything incredibly serene at Liverpool. Is there any danger that, as the contract situations of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold move into the final months, that events off the field could start impacting results?

Emile Heskey: “As a manager, you’ve got to bat it away. There’s really not much as a manager you can do about the contract situations. All Arne Slot can say is, ‘I want this player.’ Then it’s for the club to actually figure that out and you try and keep the player or you bring in the player that the manager identifies.

I think that Virgil, Trent and Mo’s focus on the games has been top class up until this point. The contract talks haven’t had any impact at all.

Of course, after the United game, it wasn’t Trent’s best game, and the questions are being asked about his commitment. Has his head been turned by Real Madrid? I don’t think that’s the case, but after every poor result, every time he has a bad game, with that contract unsigned and his future unresolved, those questions will be asked every single time.

When Arne Slot faces those questions, all he can do is bat them away. Hopefully he won’t have to face them too much because if he does, it means we’re dropping points or Trent’s dropping a poor performance. It will be exactly the same if Virgil or Mo have bad games.”

Q: Trent Alexander-Arnold was slammed by Roy Keane, who said he should be signing for Tranmere due to the standard of his defending! Does that aspect of his game let him down?

Emile Heskey: “Yeah, look, I think it’s something that we’ve spoken about year-on-year for Trent. We never talk about his on-ball abilities. It’s off-ball abilities, isn’t it? It’s defending. It’s positional play. It’s aggression. He didn’t show any of them against Man United.

It looked like United actually went at him. They targeted him. I think his teammates could have helped him out a bit more. As a player, if I know someone’s not doubling up, and I can see that players are really getting at my teammate, I would come across and help him. You can’t just leave him on his own to be taken on.

I get it, sometimes you need to be able to deal with 1v1s, but if you’re not dealing with the 1v1s well enough, then his teammates must help out. This is one of the things that we constantly point our fingers at others, but there’s 11 people on the pitch, 10 outfield players, and they’ve got to help each other. It’s not just 1v1 all over the pitch.”

Q: We know that Real Madrid have made enquiries about signing Alexander-Arnold in January. Will that have an impact on him – that seemed to be the case against United

Emile Heskey: “No, it can happen. Players can get distracted, especially when it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world that are showing an interest, and the stakes are high. It takes real mental strength to ignore it. You’re looking at Mo Salah, he’s never dropped his level while everything has been going on with his contract this season.

It takes real mental strength to get through those times as a player. The uncertainty can be hard to deal with, and also the interest of other clubs.

You’re gonna have ups, you’re gonna have downs. You’ve got to try and find that medium that helps you to get through. Salah has been remarkably consistent. His end product is still there with goals and assists.”

Q: Of course, Liverpool fans would love Trent to stay, but what is your feeling on it? Given what he was won with his boyhood club, would a new challenge playing for Real Madrid be very difficult to turn down?

Emile Heskey: “The reality is he’s won the league at Liverpool. There’s only one or two clubs that will draw you away from Liverpool, which is Real Madrid and Barcelona. So, it’s a really difficult one.

My thing about it is, he’s coming to the end of his contract. That would have been a four-year contract, I’m guessing. So, two years into that contract, why are we not talking about extending that now? We’re not going to get that answer. It just baffles me that someone that you rate really highly as a local lad and someone that potentially could be captain going into later years, you’ve let his contract run out. I don’t know if it’s on both sides or it’s on one or the other. It just shouldn’t have come to that point.”

Q: Who was the most important signing of Liverpool’s squad rebuild in the years since their last Premier League title in 2020, and why? What do you like about that particular player?

Emile Heskey: “I think Gravenberch has been great. I think Virgil has been there as a role model.
If you’re looking at the forward areas, I think Jota gives you something different.

I think Diaz gives you brilliant depth. I like him playing through the middle because he gives you different options. But I think with Diaz playing up front as a nine, I think it’s horses for courses. I don’t think he can play nine every game. I think he plays in specific games where there’s plenty of space and then you can really exploit that space.

I think there’s a desperate need for another number nine at the club, someone who’s going to give you those goals. We can’t always rely on Mo.”

Q: What has impressed you most about Arne Slot since he took over?

Emile Heskey: “I think it’s his application going into a huge, huge job. Not necessarily coming here and thinking I’m going to change everything tonight and it’s all about me. It’s about the players that he’s inherited, and getting the best out of a system that he likes and getting the players to understand that system. We’ve seen it several times with other clubs that they don’t necessarily get it straight away. He’s come in and managed to do that and really play on the hearts of the Liverpool fan, because they’re in love with him right now.

When you’re looking at Klopp, he was fantastic as well. Not just actual Liverpool fans, most Premier League fans loved Klopp. So, to go in from that and then to bring your own philosophy and to really present yourself in a certain way, I think he presents himself brilliantly to the media. I think he presents himself brilliantly to the fans.

You can see the changes that he’s made, the subtle changes that he’s made, and the difference that they’re getting from it.”

Q: On Nunez, there is no doubt that he has massive potential, but does he need to start realizing that now? Could this be his last season to really prove that he can cut it at Anfield?

Emile Heskey: “Darwin’s created a lot of chances. Now it’s just about taking some chances isn’t it? Fans love him because he’ll probably throw himself about a little bit, maybe he did that too much in the Man Utd game and got himself booked, but that could easily have been a red. He’ll put himself about and that’s one of the things that the Liverpool fans love about him.

It’s just when you get into those critical moments, where you’ve got to really compose yourself and finish, he’s got to work on that. I played with some of the best, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen. They were some of the best to do it when it comes down to it. He’s got to slow himself down to really take those opportunities and if he did that, worked on that, you see the chances that he’s creating, he will easily get 15 to 20 goals a season.

The Carabao Cup

Q: Which side needs to win the Carabao Cup the most?

Emile Heskey: “Ooh, I think Arsenal need it the most. Compared to when I was playing, to now when they’re not really winning anything, not really looking like winning anything. And they’re a huge club, so I’d probably say Arsenal.”

Q: We’re at the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup. Liverpool won the trophy last season – do you expect them to retain it again?

Emile Heskey: “Yeah. I think, for confidence, if you can get that first trophy under your belt, it breeds confidence. I can only go into what we did as treble winners in 2001. It gives you that confidence to go again and again and again, because you’ve already won something. It takes a little bit of that burden off for you to just go again.”

Q: In a recent fixture against Tottenham in the Premier League, Liverpool made light work of Tottenham, winning 3-6 in London. Do Tottenham need to be worried that Slot’s men could rack up an aggregate score that goes into double figures here?

Emile Heskey: “Ange will be under a lot of pressure, to be honest with you. But again, a cricket score, we said that with the United game. You’re just looking at going down there, being professional and winning the game.

Tottenham have got a lot of injuries, and the two central defenders are inexperienced at this level and that could be something for Liverpool to exploit. When I played, I would definitely want to test them early and leave a little bit on them to see if they’re really ready for the game. I think Liverpool’s forwards will be licking their lips when they see that central defence pairing and wondering how we can get at them. How can we put them under pressure? How can we get them nervous? How can we get them not wanting the ball?

Because Ange wants to play, and the worst thing is when you’re trying to play that way, and players don’t want the ball.”

Q: You won the League Cup in 2001 with Liverpool, the first of three trophies for your team that season. How much of a boost does winning the competition give to a group of players and help lift further trophies in the same season?

Emile Heskey: “Winning the first one gives you a major confidence boost. One hundred percent, because that’s the first major trophy that you can get over the line. Then you put that to one side and say let’s take that and just keep taking those baby steps towards other ones.”

Aston Villa

Q: Is Ollie Watkins’ form suffering this season because he knows he’s not untrappable with Jhon Duran around?

Emile Heskey: “I think you’ll always suffer if you’re not playing week in, week out, because that’s where you get your rhythm. He’s not a young lad as well. Jhon Duran’s a young lad who could just come in and out every now and again, and it doesn’t really affect him that much. But as you get a little bit older you want that continuity, you want to be playing week in, week out. Not necessarily knowing that you’re the manager’s number one, that would be nice, of course, especially for your confidence, but when you’re playing at a top club, when you’re competing in the Champions League, you need competition. Watkins has to get on with it.

You want to be playing just so you can focus on your game and have the confidence to play every match. Then coming into a game, if you’re coming in a bit cold, you haven’t got the pace of the game, and that’s tough.”

Q: Aston Villa are flying high in Europe but aren’t performing as well domestically. Does Emery have to prioritise one competition over the other?

Emile Heskey: “They just have to try and do everything. You prioritise one, then you know you’re going to fall away from the other. They don’t have the squad depth to prioritise one over the other. The funny thing with this is if you speak to the Villa fans, they kind of knew that this was going to happen. Villa don’t have a big enough squad to prioritise competitions, and when you do that, it can be dangerous. You never really want to out all your eggs in on basket as a football club. If you do that, sometimes you can be left with egg on your face.

I don’t think they should prioritise. I think they should go on all fronts. At some stage it might fall away a little.”

Q: One player Villa are reportedly looking to bring in is Donyell Malen. Would that be a good signing in your opinion?

Emile Heskey: “If you can play in several different positions, it’s always good, especially if he’s a starter. He can plug many gaps. A lot of the time when you bring players in, it just gives everyone else a bit of a pep. If someone’s of real quality, It just gives everyone that little pep. They need something to give them that little bit of a boost. It could be that.”

Q: There are a lot of rumours about Louie Barry and his Villa future. Do you think he should be given an opportunity in the Villa squad for the second part of the season or do you think a transfer to a promotion-chasing Championship club is more likely?

Emile Heskey: “It’s tough. League One is totally different. You have to throw someone in the deep end and then expect him to cope. I think they’ve got their eyes set on moving him onto a Championship side, closing that gap to the Premier League because it’s a lot different. And where would he play? Because you’ve got your Morgan Rogers and players like that, that play in a similar sort of position.”

Leicester City

Emile Heskey: “Leicester are on a run of five straight defeats. Do you think Ruud Van Nistelrooy will keep them up? What have you made of the start he has made in charge?

It’s going to be difficult to keep them up. When I said at the beginning of the season, it was the ones who came up who were going down. It’s a tough ask because they haven’t reinforced the squad like you’d want them to.

He wants to play a certain way and they’re just learning that now, and the Premier League is relentless and ruthless. It’s going to be tough, and the mistakes that they’re making are inevitably turning into goals against them. I think on the ball they look better, but stats will show that they concede a lot more shots – they haven’t improved in that sense.”

Q: We know that it will be difficult for Leicester to strengthen in January, but would you like to see your old club make a few signings to help in the battle against the drop? Where do you think Leicester could do with reinforcements?

Emile Heskey: “I think firepower, I know you’re saying they’ve only scored two goals in the lkast few games, but I think firepower wise, they’re not too bad. They’ve got Decodorva-Reid, and a young lad called Will Alves who I think should be given a run as well. They have a little bit. Defensively, if you can plug those gaps, you’ve got a chance going forward.”

Birmingham City

Q: The Blues were big spenders in League One this summer and are well on the way to returning to the Championship. Do you think that your old club will be going up this season?

Emile Heskey: “I think that’s what they’re looking at doing. They’ve looked at how Ipswich did it.
They’re probably trying to do the consecutive promotions with the investment that they’ve had put in. I think they’ve done fantastic. They’ve got a really good manager. He was at Leicester under Brendan Rodgers, so I know of him.

You can see his style of play coming out. It’s going to be a difficult one in the Championship anyway. But they’re primed for it, and I believe they could possibly go again and spend a little bit more money.”