From Leicester to Bangkok: Heskey contemplates Asian swansong

EMILE Heskey’s new love affair with Thailand could see the former England and Liverpool striker make a playing comeback in the Thai Premier League. The 36-year-old was last week named as an ambassador to his hometown club, Leicester City, for their Thailand International Academy, which opens in January. The Premier League side are owned by King Power, a Thai duty-free retail group. Heskey was in Bangkok for the academy launch and to be a judge in a competition to recruit the best Thai teenage footballers. And in May he spent his honeymoon exploring some of the Thai tropical islands with his wife, Chantelle. He hasn’t played since April when the ended a twoyear contract as the marquee player for the Newcastle Jets, in Australia’s A-League. But as Heskey struts his stuff in legends’ events in Southeast Asia this month, he’s left the door open for a professional return. “I defi nitely haven’t retired yet and I’m discussing the option of playing in Thailand,” he told ESPN FC. “But nothing has been decided as yet.” Heskey should find the pace easier to handle than the frenetic Thai league when he joins former teammates Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Patrik Berger in a testimonial game for retiring Singapore striker Aleksandar Duric on Saturday. Veterans like Fandi Ahmad, V. Sundramoorthy and Malek Awab are likely to feature, alongside Duric, for the local XI at Singapore’s Jalan Besar Stadium. Next week, Reds’ legends, including Heskey, wi l l be playing more exhibit ion matches in Thailand, under the management of Anfi eld icon, Ian Rush. Whether or not he laces on the boots again as a professional in the AFC region, Heskey is excited about his new ambassadorial role. He says that he was impressed by the skill level of the aspiring Thai players – from fi ve regions across the country – as he watched them in trials last week. “Leicester City and King Power searched the whole length and breadth of Thailand looking for talented 15 and 16 year olds and I saw the last 108 kids,” he said. “They had fi ve days playing games every day, which was very hard because of the weather. “By day five, we got it down to what we thought were the best 16 and they were a credit to themselves. There were some very talented youngsters in the group.” The 16 successful recruits also passed academic tests during the tryouts. They will move to the UK in January to join Leicester’s academy where they will combine school studies with footbal l training and development. Jon Rudkin, Leicester City’s academy director said: “The young people identifi ed for the pilot [scheme]have been selected not simply for their ability as footballers but for their potential to broadly benefit from what will be an intense academic experience.” Heskey knows what it is like to come through the Leicester City youth ranks, having joined their academy at the age of just 10 before making his fi rst-team debut seven years later. He spent six years with the Foxes until moving to Liverpool in 2000 for 11 million pounds, a Leicester club record. He says that working on the Thailand project reminds him of his own fl edgling days. “It ’s a g reat honour to represent my hometown club as an ambassador because it is where it all started for me,” Heskey said. “They put a lot of faith in me and are one of the reasons I had the career that I did.” Heskey won six trophies with Liverpool and earned 62 caps for England, scoring at the 2002 World Cup. And yet, he says that one of his fondest football memories came as a teenager at Leicester City. A raw 19-year-old, Heskey netted the extra time equaliser at Wembley that sent the 1997 League Cup f inal against Middlesbrough into a replay, which Leicester won 1-0. The Boro side included star imports Juninho, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson. “It was my fi rst major trophy and it’s the moments that you wish for when you get into football,” he said. Heskey was often criticised for his relatively modest goal return for a forward (he scored 127 in 588 league appearances in England and Australia). Yet he played most of his career as the selfl ess foil to many of his strike partners – including Michael Owen in his Liverpool and England days, and his former Newcastle Jets’ cohort Adam Taggart, the 2014 A-League Golden Boot winner who is now with Championship club, Fulham. It’s yet to be determined if the Thai Premier League will get to see the veteran in full fl ight. But, whatever happens, the big man himself is delighted to have a Thailand connection. And has no problems that Leicester’s home ground has been called the King Power Stadium since 2011 after its Asian benefactor. “King Power have been a breath of fresh air for the city of Leicester,” Heskey said. “They’ve given the club and city a buzz again along with the charitable work they’re doing.” His footballing odyssey has taken him from England’s East Midlands to many different parts of the UK and most recently to Australia’s Hunter Valley. Now Thailand will be a regular stop on his career road map and Heskey couldn’t be happier. Jason Dasey is Senior Editor of ESPN FC, Borneo’s most popular footbal l website which has launched a Southeast Asia edition. Twitter: @JasonDasey