Early life

Club career

International career

Style of play

Heskey played as a forward, being a powerful targetman gifted with pace and physical strength; he was also a hard working player.[112][151][152] His play has been likened to "a blunt instrument with which to bludgeon defences".[153] His main contributions to the team lie in the way he holds the ball up and draws defenders out, leaving space behind him for another player to score.[112] He has been credited as being an unselfish player who allows other forwards to benefit.[154] He is not a prolific goalscorer but is able to provide a significant number of assists as a second striker.[155] He has been quoted as saying "Forwards are judged on their goalscoring but I like to think I bring a lot more to the game and I do get pleasure from assisting".[156] He impressed the England staff with his versatility, as he could also play down the left wing.[157] However, he has been criticised by the media for his lack of goals;[158][159] lapses in his goalscoring have been described as being "hardly uncommon".[160] In 2008 it was stated that "It is only the perception of his talents that changes" after Heskey stated he was no better or worse than before.[161]

Personal life

Heskey was the partner of Kylee Pinsent but left her in 2004[162] and married Chantelle (née Tagoe) in May 2014 at Rookery Hall, Cheshire.[163] He started seeing Tagoe secretly in 2002, who worked part-time as a waitress at a lap-dancing bar in Liverpool, while still in a relationship with Pinsent.[164] Following the revelation of his two-year affair with Tagoe, Pinsent broke up with Heskey.[165] He is the father of six children, three of them with former partner Pinsent and three with Tagoe.[166][167] His fiancée Tagoe was held at knifepoint at their home in Hale, Greater Manchester in July 2008, while he was at a training session.[168] The thieves burgled the house and stole Heskey's car but neither Tagoe, nor their two (at the time) children who were in the house, were hurt.[168] Following this, he said Tagoe was "very, very distressed" by the incident.[169] In 2009, he was rated as owning a personal fortune of £12 million.[170] Heskey and other members of the England team supported the Shoe Aid for Africa campaign in 2009, which was aimed at helping underprivileged children in Africa.[171]

Career statistics

Honours