Liverpool move would ruin Emile Heskey's England career says Steve Bruce

12 January 2009 11:54
The England striker whose contract is up at the end of the season, has been linked with a number of clubs and the latest reports claims that he has agreed a pre-contract to return to Liverpool for the next campaign. [LNB]But Bruce is adamant that staying at Wigan is Heskey's best hope of being selected to play a part of Fabio Capello's attack in South Africa. [LNB]"He's got into the England team by playing for Wigan and we play to his strengths," said Bruce. "We get the ball up to him quickly. He is the focal point of the team and he's got himself into the England team with us. [LNB]"If I was Emile, I'd be thinking `Can I be England centre forward when we go to the World Cup in 18 months time? To do that at his age, I think he has to be playing every week. [LNB]"I know the big boys are shopping around, but I think he will get over the January window and see what happens in the summer."[LNB]The Mail[LNB] claims that Rafael Benitez has offered Heskey a summer move as he is reluctant to meet Wigan's £4 million price tag for the 31-year-old who left Anfield in 2004. [LNB]Wilson Palacios, Antonio Valencia and Amr Zaki have also been subject of transfer rumours and Bruce, though realistic about who the transfer window benefits the most, has warned the 'big boys' that to have a hope of signing any Wigan players they will have to stump up considerable amounts of money. [LNB]"I am a realist," he said. "When you look at the size of the teams that are supposedly coming to sign these players, then I'm looking over my shoulder constantly. [LNB]"We are Wigan Athletic and the transfer window benefits the big boys with the big chequebooks, [but] the thing I do know is that if anybody wants them then they are going to cost an absolute fortune. [LNB]"I see some of the figures being bandied about for Palacios, Valencia, Zaki and Heskey. So anybody who comes had better have a big fat chequebook, that's for sure."[LNB]

Source: Telegraph