LIVERPOOL are considering a surprise move to bring Emile Heskey back to Anfield.
Rafael Benitez has been impressed with the renaissance of the 30-year-old at Wigan Athletic during the past 18 months.
Heskey’s form earned him a recall to the England squad last autumn and he has since cemented himself as first-choice under present national team coach Fabio Capello, playing a major role in the 3-1 win in Belarus on Wednesday.
Despite shelling out around £20million to bring Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, Benitez is contemplating further strengthening his forward options.
And with Heskey out of contract at the end of the season, he would most likely only cost a nominal fee should he leave the JJB Stadium during the January transfer window.
The England international would offer an alternative style to the strikers currently on Liverpool’s books, particularly in the Premier League with the Anfield outfit having made a strong start to the campaign.
And the lack of proven Premier League forwards Benitez has at his disposal is set to be cruelly exposed in forthcoming games after Fernando Torres was predicted to be out for “10 to 15 days” with a hamstring injury.
Following England’s game in Minsk, Heskey was quizzed on whether he fancied another crack at Champions League football – which would only be truly realistic with a move to a top four side.
“Everyone wants to be playing on these stages and for their club in the Champions League,” he said.
“It’s a nice situation that I’m in, but I’m still a Wigan player and I want to do my best for them.”
Heskey spent more than four years at Anfield after being signed by Gerard Houllier from Leicester City for a then club record fee of £11million in March 2000.
He scored 60 goals in 223 appearances and helped Liverpool win the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and two League Cups before joining Birmingham City shortly before Benitez’s arrival in the summer of 2004.
Heskey, of course, will be in opposition to Liverpool tomorrow when his Wigan side visit Anfield.
Their manager Steve Bruce earlier this month conceded that holding on to a player of Heskey’s stature was all but out of his hands.
He said: “Life as the manager of Wigan means accepting that we’re always in danger of losing our players. We’ve created the nucleus of a really decent team but my biggest fear is can we keep it together? Because the vultures are already hovering.
“My chairman will back me to the hilt but how can I deny these lads the opportunity if one of the big boys comes knocking on our door? That’s the problem we are going to have to address this term.”
Rafael Benitez has been impressed with the renaissance of the 30-year-old at Wigan Athletic during the past 18 months.
Heskey’s form earned him a recall to the England squad last autumn and he has since cemented himself as first-choice under present national team coach Fabio Capello, playing a major role in the 3-1 win in Belarus on Wednesday.
Despite shelling out around £20million to bring Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, Benitez is contemplating further strengthening his forward options.
And with Heskey out of contract at the end of the season, he would most likely only cost a nominal fee should he leave the JJB Stadium during the January transfer window.
The England international would offer an alternative style to the strikers currently on Liverpool’s books, particularly in the Premier League with the Anfield outfit having made a strong start to the campaign.
And the lack of proven Premier League forwards Benitez has at his disposal is set to be cruelly exposed in forthcoming games after Fernando Torres was predicted to be out for “10 to 15 days” with a hamstring injury.
Following England’s game in Minsk, Heskey was quizzed on whether he fancied another crack at Champions League football – which would only be truly realistic with a move to a top four side.
“Everyone wants to be playing on these stages and for their club in the Champions League,” he said.
“It’s a nice situation that I’m in, but I’m still a Wigan player and I want to do my best for them.”
Heskey spent more than four years at Anfield after being signed by Gerard Houllier from Leicester City for a then club record fee of £11million in March 2000.
He scored 60 goals in 223 appearances and helped Liverpool win the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and two League Cups before joining Birmingham City shortly before Benitez’s arrival in the summer of 2004.
Heskey, of course, will be in opposition to Liverpool tomorrow when his Wigan side visit Anfield.
Their manager Steve Bruce earlier this month conceded that holding on to a player of Heskey’s stature was all but out of his hands.
He said: “Life as the manager of Wigan means accepting that we’re always in danger of losing our players. We’ve created the nucleus of a really decent team but my biggest fear is can we keep it together? Because the vultures are already hovering.
“My chairman will back me to the hilt but how can I deny these lads the opportunity if one of the big boys comes knocking on our door? That’s the problem we are going to have to address this term.”
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