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[taxi Phil]

Emile Heskey announces his retirement from International Football.

[Ballers]

Good solid player who gave everything he had (however much that may have been) every single time he pulled on an England shirt.

Which is what we accuse most of them of not doing.

Nowhere near as bad a player as people made out, in his day, on his good days which weren't all that frequent.

[York Alty]

saw him a few times.  maybe his problem was that he was perceived not to move very far, or fats.  but in fairness i think he had a footy brain that helped him get to the right places without all the effort.  i dunno,  a mixed sort of career so far.

[Number23]

I'm sure he's a bright and decent bloke with a good football brain. He was (is?) also strong and pretty quick over the ground.
So he had all the attributes to terrify defenders in a Didier Drogba sort of way but he never, ever has.

He doesn't have a strikers instincts as is shown by a return of one goal every four games at his peak (more like one in nine for Villa and England).

I think people are more disappointed by him as an England player because there are constant glimpses of which the player he ought to be which he never actually delivers on.

[RedWhiteRedWhite]

I buy a shirt for every tournament, and always go for a non-typical name and number - in the hope that when i have a Steven Gerrard sized games room - i'll have them all framed on the wall.  The "non-typical" aspect always ensures suitable barracking...my two Owen Hargreaves shirts prior to 2006 for example, were the cause of much p*ss taking...until he got good!!!

It started in 1998 with "Burton - 18" on the back of a psychedelic Jamaica shirt...and i'm disappointed to hear that my recent purchase of a "Heskey 21" red England shirt, can now be lined up in the retired section with my "Zidane 10" from Euro 2000. (A very much "typical" choice actually.)

I really liked Heskey...in the same way i really liked Forlan when he was at United. Striker doesnt necessarily mean "20 goals a season"...and i think he's been a bit of a scapegoat for poor England performances by the un-informed, despite always putting the effort in. A true professional, and whilst we will probably benefit from playing Crouch more often...i think overall it's a loss to the side to not have him available.

For me...i think he's the same as Dale Johnson. Big, strong, not electric but fairly quick...and whilst perhaps doesnt score the goals he should...more than enough adds a bit extra to the front line, that others benefit from.

[Saughall Robin]

Frankly, as long as there's any kind of argument to include Heskey in an England starting XI, we will never get anywhere near the business end of a world cup because we will never be anywhere near good enough.

Think about it ... which of the last 8 teams in this years competition would have wished he played for them?







Exactly.

[NorthernMonkey]

I blame the other players who've not put forward a convincing case to replace him.

[(S)ALTY]

I blame the other players who've not put forward a convincing case to replace him.

Peter Crouch - 40 international caps - 21 goals

How much more convincing do people want ? 

[Butty]

I blame the other players who've not put forward a convincing case to replace him.

Peter Crouch - 40 international caps - 21 goals

How much more convincing do people want ? 

Haven't done much research on it, but 3 of them came against a poor Jamaica team, how many goals has he scored against 'proper' teams?

[Ballers]

Frankly, as long as there's any kind of argument to include Heskey in an England starting XI, we will never get anywhere near the business end of a world cup because we will never be anywhere near good enough.

Think about it ... which of the last 8 teams in this years competition would have wished he played for them?






Exactly.

That's not quite the point some of us are making though, well that attitude is but that's not what I mean.

Thanks for the unstinting efforts Emile, your grace and dignity under a hail of racist abuse in Madrid and for smacking that T**t Alpay in the tunnel.

And ta for making it five.

[NorthernMonkey]

I blame the other players who've not put forward a convincing case to replace him.

Peter Crouch - 40 international caps - 21 goals

How much more convincing do people want ? 

I like Crouch, personally, but something just hasn't convinced Capello.

I'm not worried about who his goals have been against - how many games have we played against poorer countries and no-one has banged any in?

Other players have had a chance and just not taken it. I may be a biased Crewe fan, but it's a shame Ashton got knackered as he looked a decent prospect.

[Dougals Dad]

I blame the other players who've not put forward a convincing case to replace him.

Peter Crouch - 40 international caps - 21 goals

How much more convincing do people want ? 

I like Crouch, personally, but something just hasn't convinced Capello.

I'm not worried about who his goals have been against - how many games have we played against poorer countries and no-one has banged any in?

Other players have had a chance and just not taken it. I may be a biased Crewe fan, but it's a shame Ashton got knackered as he looked a decent prospect.

I'm a biased anti Crewe fan. Tho my mum came from there and her dad was mayor I also had a couple of exes from there who clouded my judgement of Crewe (& women).

As for Crouch, I think one of the problems is that he gives away a lot of free kicks. He is not dirty but foreign refs don't seem to like his style as he appears to lean over defenders and stops them jumping. Foreign refs see this as a foul whereas we just see this as a tall lanky streak of **** going for the ball.

He's also skillful for such a tall man (to quote the commentators' cliche!).

[hsmith1]

thought he had retired at the World Cup 

[NorthernMonkey]

The women in Crewe could cause a man to consider using his other foot.

Frightning creatures.

[Dougals Dad]

The women in Crewe could cause a man to consider using his other foot.

Frightning creatures.