Top facts about Emile Heskey, Bruno

Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey (born 11 January 1978) is a British retired professional footballer who now works as Leicester City Women's head of football development and interim manager.

Emile Heskey’s age

is 43. Here you can find out the most important facts about Emile Heskey, England's Unsung Hero.

Over the course of his 18-year career as a striker, he made over 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, as well as representing England at international level. He also spent time in Australia, where he played for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League.

The first fact about Emile Heskey is that he began his professional career with

after rising through the club's development system, making his first-team debut in 1995. After winning the League Cup in 1997 and 2000, he moved to Liverpool for £11 million in 2000, which was the club's record transfer cost at the time.

He was a numerous award winner with Liverpool, including the FA Cup in 2001. In 2004, he joined Birmingham City, and following their relegation from the Premier League in 2006, he joined Wigan Athletic for a club record £5.5 million cost.

An important fact about Emile Heskey is that he joined

in 2009 and was released in 2012 before joining Newcastle Jets in the A-League. He returned to England after two years and finished his career with Bolton Wanderers in the Championship.

Top facts about Emile Heskey:

Heskey was a member of England's under-16, under-18, under-21, B, and senior squads. In a 1–1 draw against Hungary in 1999, he earned his England debut. He was dropped from the team following a poor showing at UEFA Euro 2004, during which he was heavily criticized.

Heskey was recalled to the England team for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers in September 2007 after a lengthy absence from international play. After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he retired from international football, having earned 62 appearances and scoring 7 goals for his country.

Heskey asked not to be called 'Bruno' after leaving Leicester City for Liverpool. The nickname, after heavyweight boxer Frank Bruno, was born out of racial stereotyping, and was frequently chanted from the stands when Heskey scored for his boyhood club.

Emile Heskey early life

Heskey was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, to an Antiguan family. Speaking about

Emile Heskey’s parents

, it should be mentioned that his father, Tyrone Heskey, worked as a nightclub security guard in Leicester. Regarding

Emile Heskey’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he went to City of Leicester School, Evington.

Emile Heskey personal life

Kylee Pinsent was Heskey's companion, but he divorced her in 2004 and married Chantelle (née Tagoe) in May 2014 at Rookery Hall in Cheshire.

While still in a relationship with Pinsent, he began surreptitiously dating Tagoe, who worked part-time as a waitress at a lap-dancing establishment in Liverpool.

Pinsent ended his relationship with Heskey when his two-year romance with Tagoe was revealed. He has six children, three of whom he shares with his previous girlfriend Pinsent and three with Tagoe.

In July 2008, while he was at a training session, his fiancée Tagoe was held at knifepoint at their home in Hale, Greater Manchester. The thieves broke into the house and stole Heskey's car, but Tagoe and their two (at the time) children were not injured. After that, he stated that Tagoe was "extremely distressed" by the incident.

He was estimated to have a personal fortune of £12 million in 2009. In 2009, Heskey and other England players participated in the Shoe Aid for Africa campaign, which aimed to help underprivileged children in Africa.

Emile Heskey professional career

Emile Heskey had a glittering career, playing as a forward, being a powerful target man gifted with pace and physical strength; he was also a hard-working player.

His main contributions to the team was the way he held the ball up and drew defenders out, leaving space behind him for another player to score. He was an unselfish player who allowed other forwards to benefit.

Emile Heskey club career

A notable fact about Emile Heskey is that he was a keen footballer as a child, playing for Ratby Groby Juniors, a local Leicester youth team. He stood out among his peers and accepted a place at Leicester City's football academy at the age of nine.

After progressing through the club's youth system, he made his first-team debut against Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League on March 8, 1995, while still a first-year trainee.

Leicester City

Following the end of the 1994–95 season, Leicester was relegated to the First Division, and he signed his first professional contract with the club on 3 October 1995.

An important

fact about Emile Heskey

is that he made 30 league appearances as a first-team regular in 1995–96. Heskey's first goal came in a 1–0 win against Norwich City during this season, and he went on to score seven goals in total.

He played a key role in Leicester's return to the Premier League, beginning with a 2–1 victory against Crystal Palace in the 1996 First Division play-off Final on May 27.

Heskey scored 10 goals in 35 appearances in his debut season in the Premier League, including the equalizer in the 1997 League Cup Final against

, which Leicester won in a replay. Heskey was the PFA Young Player of the Year runner-up to David Beckham.

Leeds United and

were interested in signing Heskey the next season, 1997–98, when he scored 10 Premier League goals, making him Leicester's leading scorer.

Heskey, on the other hand, only scored six Premier League goals in 1998–99, and he was chastised for not scoring enough goals and going to ground too readily.

However, during this season, he formed a strong striking combination with Tony Cottee, who profited from Heskey's selfless style of play, which manager Martin O'Neill believed helped keep the team in the Premier League.

On March 21, 1999, Heskey started for Leicester in the League Cup Final, which they lost 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. On February 27, 2000, he won the League Cup for the second time, defeating Tranmere Rovers 2–1.

Liverpool

Heskey joined Liverpool on March 10, 2000, in a long-awaited £11 million deal that established the record transfer price paid by the Merseyside club at the time.

Gérard Houllier, the manager of Liverpool, expressed interest in working with him, but cautioned that "at his age, he is not the final product." Because Heskey was relatively inexperienced and not a prolific goalscorer, the press viewed the move as costly and risky.

However, both England under-21 boss Peter Taylor and England and Liverpool player Michael Owen regarded him in high respect. Heskey would "offer Liverpool a new dimension," according to veteran Liverpool striker Ian Rush, adding muscle to the Liverpool strikeforce and complimenting Owen and Robbie Fowler's pacey style.

Heskey made his Premier League debut against Sunderland on March 11, 2000, and scored his first goal against Coventry City on April 1, 2000. He made 12 appearances for Liverpool in 1999–2000, scoring three goals.

On February 25, 2001, he made his debut in the League Cup Final, which Liverpool won 5–4 on penalties following a 1–1 extra-time draw.

On May 12, 2001, he started the 2001 FA Cup Final ahead of Fowler, which Liverpool won 2–1 against Arsenal. Heskey made his UEFA Cup Final debut four days later, in which Liverpool defeated Deportivo Alavés 5–4 in extra time.

A notable fact about Emile Heskey is that he scored 22 goals for Liverpool in the 2000–01 season, helping the club win the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup treble.

On August 12, 2001, he made his Liverpool debut in the FA Charity Shield, in which Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2–1. On August 24, 2001, he scored Liverpool's second goal in a 3–2 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup.

On August 11, 2002, Heskey began for Liverpool in their 2–1 loss to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield. In December 2002, he was linked with a £12 million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, but Houllier claimed he was part of his long-term plans and stayed at Liverpool.

Heskey made a six-figure gift the same year to help a group headed by Gary Lineker in their effort to buy out his previous club, Leicester City, which was in financial trouble.

On March 2, 2003, he started in Liverpool's 2–0 triumph against Manchester United in the League Cup Final. He scored 9 goals in 51 games for Liverpool in the 2002–03 season, drawing criticism for his poor goal-to-game ratio, but Houllier insisted that his future at the club was secure.

In January 2004, he suffered a hamstring injury in a match against Newcastle United, which forced him to miss three weeks of activity.

 In the 2003–04 season, Heskey was competing against Milan Baro for a spot in Liverpool's starting lineup. After an injury kept him out for months, he returned to the team and finished the season with 12 goals.

Birmingham

An important

fact about Emile Heskey

is that he signed a five-year deal with Birmingham City on 18 May 2004 for an initial sum of £3.5 million, which could have climbed to £6.25 million, making him Birmingham City's most expensive player.

During a pre-season friendly against CA Osasuna, he injured his ankle, putting his Premier League debut against Portsmouth in jeopardy.

On 14 August, he was finally eligible to play against Portsmouth, and the match finished in a 1–1 tie. On August 24, he scored his first goal, a header in the eighth minute against Manchester City, which was enough to win a 1–0 victory.

Despite Birmingham's poor performance in the 2004–05 season, Heskey was named Player of the Season, Player's Player of the Season, top goalscorer with 11 goals, and the recipient of the most man of the match awards.

After suffering an ankle injury against Blackburn Rovers on 19 April 2006, he returned to play in a 0–0 draw against Everton on 22 April after passing a late fitness test.

Birmingham's 2005–06 season ended in relegation to the Championship after Heskey scored just four goals in 34 league games. Heskey's performances were erratic this season, and he was booed by Birmingham supporters.

Birmingham managing director Karren Brady indicated that the last £1.5 million of the maximum £6.25 million cost for signing Heskey from Liverpool will not be paid due to the club's relegation.

Wigan Athletic

On July 7, 2006, Heskey was bought by Premier League team Wigan Athletic for a cost of £5.5 million. On August 19, 2006, he made his debut against Newcastle United, which his new club defeated 2–1.

On August 26, Heskey scored his first goal for Wigan in a 1–0 Premier League win against Reading in his 500th league match. In 2006–07, Heskey scored 8 goals in 36 appearances to help Wigan avoid relegation on goal difference over Sheffield United, who he played well against on May 13, 2007, in a match in which he nearly scored a bicycle kick.

In September 2007, Heskey sustained a suspected fractured metatarsal and returned for Wigan in a 2–0 loss to Arsenal in November. In December 2007, he suffered an ankle injury during Wigan's 5–3 win against Blackburn.

Heskey scored a 90th-minute equalizer against Chelsea on April 14, 2008, ending Chelsea's Premier League title hopes. In the following match, he scored Wigan's equalizer against Tottenham to earn a 1–1 draw, which proved to be his final goal of the 2007–08 season, in which he scored four goals in 30 appearances.

His first goal of the season came in Wigan's fourth match of the season, a 5–0 win over Hull City at the KC Stadium. He hinted in October 2008 that he would be interested in leaving Wigan to play in the Champions League despite Wigan manager Steve Bruce's best efforts to persuade him to extend his contract.

A notable fact about Emile Heskey is that he commented on reports of interest from Liverpool by saying "It would be lovely. We'll see how it goes." On November 1, 2008, he scored his 100th Premier League goal against Portsmouth, securing a 2–1 victory for Wigan.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan intimated that Heskey may be sold in January 2009 for a price, while he would go for free in the summer, when discussions over a new deal stagnated. Bruce, on the other hand, said that he would only accept an "outrageous" offer for Heskey.

An important

fact about Emile Heskey

is that he subsequently said that he was confident in his ability to retain Heskey at the club. In December 2008, Heskey suffered a hamstring injury in a match against Bolton Wanderers, which forced him to miss an FA Cup third-round fixture against Tottenham. Later, he said that he will remain at Wigan until the end of his contract in the summer of 2009.

Aston Villa

On January 23, 2009, Heskey signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Aston Villa for £3.5 million. Four days later, he made his debut against Portsmouth, scoring with a strike from 20 yards, his first goal for the club.

Before the end of the season, he scored one more goal, the opening goal in a 1–1 draw with West Ham United. He made 14 appearances for Villa in 2008–09, scoring two goals.

A notable fact about Emile Heskey is that he was reported to have stated that he was considering leaving Villa during the January 2010 transfer window in order to improve his chances of being selected for the England team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to which manager Martin O'Neill replied, "There are players at this club who want to play for England. I wouldn't get too worked up over it just yet."

Heskey, on the other hand, later denied that he wanted to leave Villa. In February 2010, O'Neill instructed him to "get up a head of steam" because he was worried that Heskey's ailments were preventing him from performing at his best. In the 2010 League Cup Final, he started for Villa, who lost 2–1 to Manchester United. Heskey made 42 appearances and scored five goals in 2009–10.

In the 2010–11 season, he made his first start in a 1–1 tie against Rapid Vienna in the Europa League play-off first leg. Heskey had a strong start to the 2010–11 season under Gérard Houllier, who previously coached him at Liverpool. He scored in local derbies with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion.

An important fact about Emile Heskey is that he barged towards referee Mike Jones on May 7, 2011, during Aston Villa's home match against Wigan, and proceeded to fight with him after he did not award a free kick for an alleged elbow by Antoln Alcaraz. For his actions, Heskey was given a yellow card and had to be held by teammates Brad Friedel and captain Stiliyan Petrov.

He continued to play for the rest of the half, but was again restrained in the tunnel at the halftime break. At halftime, caretaker manager Gary McAllister elected to replace him with Marc Albrighton, and Heskey was not permitted to stay at the stadium for the remainder of the game.

Heskey got no sanction from either Villa or the Football Association as a result of his outburst. Heskey was "fortunate he didn't get sent off," teammate Luke Young later stated.

Heskey stayed at Villa for another season, scoring only once in a victory against Blackburn Rovers in August 2011. After being advised he would not be granted a new contract, he was released in May 2012.

Newcastle Jets

On September 21, 2012, Heskey joined with Newcastle Jets of the Australian A-League as their marquee player for the 2012–13 season. He made his debut in the Jets' 2–0 home loss to Adelaide United, when he was replaced by James Virgili in the 72nd minute.

On October 13, 2012, Heskey scored his first A-League goal in a 3–2 away victory over Sydney FC. With his goal against Sydney FC, Heskey increased his goal tally to five in five starts, with one goal against F3 Derby rivals the Central Coast Mariners, two goals against Melbourne Victory on October 26th, and one goal against the Western Sydney Wanderers, putting him joint top scorer in the league.

"Heskey Cam" was used during the match versus Melbourne, allowing viewers to follow Heskey's moves with a single camera throughout the game. Heskey signed a new contract for 2013–14 in April 2013, after finishing 2012–13 with 9 goals in 23 games and receiving a nomination for the Jets' Player of the Year award.

Heskey departed the Jets in 2013–14 after scoring once in 19 appearances to explore a transfer to an English team.

Bolton Wanderers

Heskey signed a short-term deal with Championship club Bolton Wanderers on December 24, 2014, after a successful trial.

He made his debut two days later as a half-time replacement for Robert Hall with Bolton trailing Blackburn 1–0 at home, although Bolton went on to win 2–1 after scoring the equalizing goal in the 59th minute.

Eiur Gujohnsen, a 36-year-old attacker who had joined the team that month, set up his goal. When his contract with Bolton ended at the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, Heskey was released. Following that, he stopped playing.

Emile Heskey coaching career

In 2017, Heskey joined Egerton in Cheshire League One as a coach, with Jlloyd Samuel, Jim Cherneski, and Dean Gorré. In May 2020, Heskey disclosed that he had enrolled in a UEFA Management course and that as part of it, he planned to work with Leicester City's women's team.

In September, he was named to an ambassadorial and mentoring position with Leicester City Women, where he was entrusted with assisting Russ Fraser, the club's head of women's football, in the development of the academy. Fraser stepped down as head of women's football development a year later, and Heskey took his place.

Jonathan Morgan, the manager of Leicester Women, was fired on November 25, 2021, after the club had lost eight games in a row to begin the 2021–22 FA WSL season, and Heskey was named temporary manager.

Emile Heskey international career

Heskey made his international debut for England's under-16 squad on April 26, 1994, as a substitute in the team's 1–0 victory against Portugal in the first match of the 1994 UEFA European Under-16 Championship.

Two days later, he made his debut in a 1–1 draw with the Republic of Ireland. England were ousted in the quarter-finals by Ukraine, losing 7–6 on penalties following a 2–2 extra-time draw.

Heskey made his under-18 debut against Latvia in 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship qualifying on November 16, 1995, scoring both goals in a 2–0 victory in the second and 58th minutes.

At the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship, he appeared in all four matches for the squad, scoring in the 18th minute of the third-place match against Belgium, which England won 3–2 after extra time. He made eight appearances and scored five goals throughout his under-18 career.

Heskey rose through the ranks of the under-21 squad, making his debut in a 0–0 draw with Poland on 8 October 1996, and scoring against the same nation in a 1–1 tie a year later on 30 May 1997.

He made his last appearance on March 29, 2000, in a 3–0 win against Yugoslavia in a 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying play-off, and ended his under-21 career with 17 appearances and six goals. He made his England B team debut against Chile on February 10, 1998, scoring a 90th-minute goal in a 2–1 loss.

On November 18, 1998, Heskey was called up to the senior England squad for a friendly against the Czech Republic, however he did not play.

On 28 April 1999, he made his debut in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest, which ended in a 1–1 tie, and on 23 February 2000, he got his first start against Argentina at Wembley Stadium.

His performance earned him a spot in the England team for UEFA Euro 2000. His two replacement appearances in the competition, however, were in vain, as England was eliminated in the group round.

FIFA World Cup 2002

Heskey scored to "make it five" in England's 5–1 triumph against Germany in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in September 2001. This was followed by his DJ goal celebration, which he made famous.

Heskey was named to the England team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and was deployed as a makeshift left-winger in the match against Sweden, although he did not perform well in his new role.

He scored in England's 3–0 win against Denmark, advancing them to the tournament's quarter-finals. He played in the match in which England was defeated 2–1 by Brazil, the eventual winners.

Euro 2004

When England played Slovakia in a Euro 2004 qualifier in October 2002, he and teammate Ashley Cole were abused by certain Slovakia fans, prompting UEFA to launch an inquiry into the claims.

As a result, Slovakia was compelled to play their next home international match behind closed doors.

With the addition of Wayne Rooney to the England side in 2003, Heskey's status in the team was called into question.

Despite being chastised for his lack of international goals, he remained an important member of the England team, taking up the leadership from Michael Owen after being replaced in a 2–1 victory against Serbia and Montenegro in his birthplace of Leicester in June 2003.

Heskey was chosen to England's team for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament, although he did not play well and was heavily criticized. While England was ahead 1–0 against France, he came in as a substitute and fouled Claude Makélélé on the edge of the penalty box, giving France a free kick from which they equalized. England finally fell to a 2–1 defeat.

Qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup

After being released after the match against Ukraine in August 2004, Heskey was returned to the England team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan in 2005. The prospect of a return has dwindled with Peter Crouch's inclusion in the England team.

Qualification for UEFA Euro 2008

Heskey's international appearances were limited under manager Steve McClaren, though he was recalled to the England squad in September 2007 for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia as cover for the injured Wayne Rooney, on the recommendation of Michael Owen, who stated that he wanted to play alongside Heskey.

He began the match against Israel and played a key part in the England assault, becoming the first Wigan Athletic player to be capped for England while playing for the club. Heskey also started the next match against Russia, beating off Peter Crouch for a spot in the team, and providing an assist for Owen's second goal.

"Never in a million years did I expect to be contemplating whether Emile Heskey should maintain his position ahead of Wayne Rooney, but the Wigan striker was excellent throughout both matches," former England star Alan Shearer said of his performance in the two matches.

Qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Heskey was included in manager Fabio Capello's initial squad for the match against Switzerland, however he was forced to withdraw due to injury.

In August 2008, he was selected into the team for a friendly against the Czech Republic, where he came in as a 46th-minute replacement in a 2–2 draw. He also played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying wins against Andorra and Croatia.

During the encounter against Croatia, Heskey was allegedly racially insulted, with monkey chants audible from parts of the Croatian support, prompting FIFA to initiate an investigation, and punish the Croatian Football Federation £15,000 for the incident.

On 15 October 2008, he made his 50th appearance for England against Belarus in a 2010 World Cup qualifier, after which he was credited with boosting Wayne Rooney's improved form in international matches, with the two creating an efficient striking combination and keeping Owen out of the squad.

In February 2009, he made his debut in a friendly against Spain, which enraged Villa manager Martin O'Neill, who demanded to know why Capello played Heskey despite his injuries. In a 4–0 triumph at Wembley Stadium, Heskey scored his first goal for England in six years, netting England's first.

During this encounter, he suffered a hamstring injury, forcing him to retire from the team. In June 2009, he scored his first competitive goal for England in seven years in a 4–0 win over Kazakhstan in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

FIFA World Cup 2010

On May 11, 2010, Heskey was included to England's preliminary 30-man World Cup squad, then on June 1, he was named to the final 23-man team.

On 4 June, Heskey hurt England captain Rio Ferdinand during a training session, forcing Ferdinand to withdraw from the tournament. In England's first encounter, a 1–1 draw with the United States, he made his debut and assisted Steven Gerrard's goal.

Heskey resigned from international football on July 15, 2010, at the age of 32, after making 62 appearances for England and scoring seven goals.

Emile Heskey style of play

Heskey was a striker who was a mobile yet powerful targetman with pace, physical strength, and the ability to win aerial challenges using his height; he was also an intelligent and hardworking player.

His style has been compared to "bludgeoning defenses with a blunt instrument." The way he held the ball up with his back to goal and drew defenders out, leaving space behind him for another player to score, was one of his most important contributions to the team.

He was praised for being a selfless player who worked well with others to create space or opportunities for teammates, allowing other forwards to benefit.

He wasn't a prolific goalscorer, nor was he especially elegant or technically skilled, but as a second striker in an offensive tandem with another striker, he was able to produce a substantial number of assists. "Forwards are assessed on their goalscoring, but I like to believe I offer a lot more to the game, and I do get satisfaction from assisting," he was quoted as adding.

He pleased England's coaching staff with his flexibility, as he could also play down the left wing in addition to his customary position as a striker; he also garnered acclaim from coaches and players for his unselfish teamwork.

Although predominantly a striker, he was also employed as an offensive midfielder, linking up the midfield with the attack, and even as a central midfielder during his tenure at Aston Villa.

Emile Heskey social media

Regarding

Emile Heskey social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with more than 85k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

He also has a Twitter account (

) with more than 86k followers. He rarely posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Emile Heskey body measurements

Speaking about

Emile Heskey body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 188 cm and 80 kg.

Emile Heskey net worth and salary

Let us now discuss

Emile Heskey's net worth

. His fortune is enormous. After scanning the internet for Emile Heskey net worth, we discovered that his net worth is believed to be about $21 million dollars.

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