After nearly 11 years playing for his Country, making 62 appearances and only scoring 7 goals England Striker Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from International Football.
Most England fans are celebrating his retirement as they have only seen him as a battering ram while playing for England. When all they wanted was a striker who could put the ball in the back of the net.Perhaps Heskey’s finest hour came when he scored England’s fifth goal in a 5-1 drubbing of Germany in Munich in 2001 when Michael Owen scored a hat-trick.
How things have changed in nine years as Heskey’s final came in an England shirt came against the same opposition in South Africa when Germany handed out the drubbing with a 4-1 win. Many fans could not believe that when England were trailing 4-1 and in need of goals that Capello turned to Heskey and not Peter Crouch to try rescue the game. After all Heskey had only scored 7 goals in 61 previous appearances, while Peter Crouch has averaged a goal every second game when in an England shirt, but instead of turning on the coach they turned on Heskey instead believing that he was the reason for England’s World Cup failure.
On announcing his retirement Emile Heskey said: ” 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.”
While managers loved Heskey’s work ethic, England fans were less than impressed as all they wanted from a striker was to score goals and unfortunately that’s what strikers are judged on, Goals not work-rate.
Should Emile Heskey have won more or less caps for England? You tell me!
