Emile back in England squad

[Shaggy]

Well deserved. Great to see him playing somewhere near the level we know he can. That lad could have had it all...



Heskey recalled to England squad

England coach Steve McClaren has called Wigan forward Emile Heskey into his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

The Wigan striker won the last of his 43 caps against France at Euro 2004.

McClaren watched the 29-year-old in action for Wigan at Newcastle on Saturday and subsequently requested his release from the Latics.

"I think he deserves to be recalled. We need his experience at this time," said McClaren on the FA's website.

"Emile is a player with a lot international experience and has played many times with Michael Owen in the past.

"He's been in good form for Wigan this season, he played very well against Sunderland and I saw him play well against Newcastle.

"While he has been out of the squad for a few years, I've spoken with Chris Hutchings who has been hugely impressed with him."

Peter Crouch is suspended for Saturday's encounter with Israel at Wembley, while Wayne Rooney has been sidelined with a broken bone in his foot.

Heskey has scored just five times in his 43 appearances at international level, but has been tipped for a recall after some powerful Premier League displays this season.

And McClaren was keen to bring in some muscle up front after watching Owen partnered with Mark Viduka and Shola Ameobi for Newcastle.

The coach's other striking options for the game against Israel are Tottenham's Jermain Defoe, Andrew Johnson of Everton and Newcastle's Alan Smith - although there have been suggestions that winger Joe Cole could be used in a more attacking role.

[dww]

He has looked a class above pretty much all the other candidates this season (obviously helped by Crouch & Rooney not playing). He has also done it in what looks a terrible Wigan side so all credit to him.

Maybe at long last he has got his head right.

[anfieldanfield]

[Darth Marty]

id put in a cheeky bid for him

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Shows what a bad state England are in.......

[Parm]

man, on his day he is unstoppable, but those das are few and far between.

[tsb]

Well played Ivanhoe. Owen and Heskey up front again.

[andyinswinton]

Its great for Heskey but we will all be moaning next Saturday.

McClaren is taking England backwards. If the best the country call call up is Heskey then there is something wrong.

I was a big fan of Heskey's but his time has been and gone, certainly at international level. It doesn't say much for the talent coming through.

[Shaggy]

Its great for Heskey but we will all be moaning next Saturday.

McClaren is taking England backwards. If the best the country call call up is Heskey then there is something wrong.

I was a big fan of Heskey's but his time has been and gone, certainly at international level. It doesn't say much for the talent coming through.

Well he's not the best the country has got cos Rooney and Crouch are out.

It probably does say a lot about the lack of a new generation of strikers, but now ain't the time to be trying out kids.

Heskey and Owen know each other well, he's experienced and more importantly he's playing very, very well.

[dww]

McClaren is taking England backwards. If the best the country call call up is Heskey then there is something wrong.

To say he is taking us backwards gives him undue credit for knowing where we are going in my opinion.

I think that the return of a player who has international experience and is playing well would normally be a sensible short term measure. However in the case of England at the minute the worry is that everything that happens looks like a short term measure or a disguised form of prayer.

McClaren appears to have no set idea of how he wants the team to play and our formation and tactics seem to be dictated totally by who is available. We need to establish a clear pattern of play that we can fit our players into. Currently the England team and squad are a shambles and McClaren is to blame for a lot of it.

[JPK]

Shows what a bad state England are in.......

It is shocking really.Laughable

[andyinswinton]

I don't understand McClaren opting to bring him back today when the squad was announced earlier in the week. Surely if Heskey was wanted, he would have been in the original squad.

McClaren is most definately panicking with this inclusion as he did with the inclusion of Beckham for the Estonia game.

We all know what these players can do but time is against them. There are some good players coming through and surely picking them against the might of Estonia and Isreal would see us through.

[Sus]

I don't understand McClaren opting to bring him back today when the squad was announced earlier in the week. Surely if Heskey was wanted, he would have been in the original squad.

McClaren is most definately panicking with this inclusion as he did with the inclusion of Beckham for the Estonia game.

We all know what these players can do but time is against them. There are some good players coming through and surely picking them against the might of Estonia and Isreal would see us through.

I read that Heskey was called up only because Owen wanted Heskey to play alongside him!!!! If true, who is picking the team? What a joke (and I'm not even English)

[Sarb]

Liverpool bought Heskey because Owen wanted him apparently

[Resu]

Well played Ivanhoe. Owen and Heskey up front again.

A friend gave a guppy tha same day we bought heskey, so I named him Ivanhoe. He didn`t last long.