Exclusive Interview with Emile Heskey: Club World Cup, Transfer Talk and Premier League Insights
Last updated: 15 July 2025 by Liam Reaney
Former England striker Emile Heskey joins the Best Betting Sites team to share his thoughts on the Club World Cup, summer transfers, and the upcoming Premier League season. In this exclusive interview, Heskey discusses Chelsea’s impressive tournament run, Liverpool’s title chances, and reflects on players like Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Viktor Gyokeres. He also comments on Leicester City’s prospects, Manchester United’s struggles, and shares insights from his playing career alongside legends like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
Club World Cup
© Getty Images
Who impressed you at the Club World Cup?
Chelsea in general, to be honest with you. I hope it doesn’t reflect badly on me, but I never expected them to get that far, or to go all the way. After buying a million and one players, they’re slowly getting back to where they should be, and the heights they used to be at.
Cole Palmer has been outstanding, and the player they just bought, Joao Pedro, looks good too. It’s always interesting when a new player comes in, because you know they’re good, but you’re not sure whether they will fit into the system. He’s done well though, and he’s giving them something different with his movement and energy.
He’s a little bit different from Nicolas Jackson, and unlike him, he’s got composure when he’s finishing as well.
Transfer Talk
What new signing has got you most excited ahead of the new season?
Rayan Ait Nouri looks good, as does the lad from Lyon, Rayan Cherki. At Liverpool, I like the look of Florian Wirtz. He reminds me of Philippe Coutinho.
I think Liverpool have missed him since he’s left, like they missed Sadio Mane. They had a great trio with him, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino. They’d each be getting 20 to 30 goals a season, working together brilliantly. Salah is still there putting up incredible numbers, but there’s nobody matching the other two. Liverpool miss that, and they miss Coutinho, that little bit of an edge and a spark in midfield.
Wirtz looks like he can give them that, so I’m keen to see how it goes with him and if he hits the ground running or needs a bit of time to settle in.
For Gyokeres, I’m not too sure how that will work for Arsenal. I’m not quite convinced yet, because although he played and did well at Coventry, he has hardly done it on a big stage yet.
At Sporting, he’s rattled the goals in but that’s not a league that’s comparable to the Premier League, it’s just not as competitive. As well as that, I don’t know if the system he has at Sporting is going to be the same for him at Arsenal. It’s a big step up.
Liverpool
What do you make of Liverpool’s business in the transfer window this summer?
Yeah, I think that Liverpool are still the favourites to win the league next season, but other clubs will have a say. Chelsea have won the Club World Cup and looked excellent at times, but the worry will be that they just haven’t had enough of a break this season.
That could be key. We’ve talked about it over the years now, that the players have to have a proper break to catch their breath and recover. Chelsea won’t have had that, and it could catch up with them at some stage of the season.
It’s there for Liverpool to lose right now, and they got the majority of their business done early and done well. They have Jeremie Frimpong, who can play anywhere you want on the right, who ticks three different boxes. They’ve added Florian Wirtz too, and they’re just adding the right players to the squad.
Who should Liverpool be making a move for as the window comes to a close?
I would love to see them get a forward, to be honest with you. If they could get Alexander Isak that would be perfect, but I know that might not be possible with the rigours of PSR and other financial concerns.
If they can make it work, Isak would be a wonderful addition to the team, someone who is proven in the league and knows how to score goals. He gives you a huge threat up front that they might not have with their current strikers.
Do you think this could be Mo Salah’s last season at Liverpool?
I think that it could be Mo’s last season at Anfield, but I wouldn’t be worried so much about him leaving, that might be the natural thing to happen.
My concern is that the club need to plan for what comes next. When he came, I don’t think anyone was expecting him to have been quite so spectacular for so long. Now we find ourselves praying that we find the next Mo Salah, who can score as many, entertain as much, or be loved by the crowd as much as he is. It’s practically an impossible task to replace him, especially when you think of the numbers he puts up.
He’s getting to the age where he will have to slow down sooner or later, but for now his workrate and goalscoring are as special and as spectacular as ever. But at some point it will hit, and we need to have an idea of what comes next.
There might not be a direct replacement for someone like him.
Barcelona and Bayern both want Luis Diaz, is he a player who Liverpool should consider letting go for the right price?
If Bayern Munich or Barcelona step up and are paying the right price, then I think it has to be considered. Everyone is available if the price is right.
I think it would be decent business if they could get a good offer in and move him on, but then the next thing to consider is who to get in.
One player I like is Anthony Gordon at Newcastle, he’d be a great option. He’d give you someone direct, who still understands how to take players on and beat them. He’s a winger who gives you width and gets to the byline, who can entertain.
We’ve lost that a bit and Anthony is a bit of a throwback to earlier times, but his dribbling and direct attacking gets fans off their seats.
What do you think about signing Bryan Mbeumo?
I had thought that Bryan Mbeumo could have been the next in line, or Mohammed Kudus. I’ve liked them both for that role since the start of last season.
They’re proven, and they both look in top nick at the moment. But I can’t say there’s anyone who is on Salah’s level right now, or who could put up numbers of 40 goals and assists every year. It’s just crazy.
I think the thing for Liverpool is that they need to spread it around, and let some players each take up some extra responsibility. It might not be the one player who solves this problem, but the whole front three.
Do you think Liverpool fans were too harsh on Trent Alexander-Arnold?
Yeah, I think they were a touch harsh on him. I think being a local lad is very difficult because again you’re not just representing yourself, you’re not just representing your family, you’re representing the city too.
And I don’t think many will understand the situation that you’re in when you’re in those situations. As a kid, you have your dreams and aspirations, and he’s ticked them all off at his boyhood club, so what’s next?
For Liverpool fans, they only care about their club. Nothing else matters, and that’s understandable that they’re in their own bubble. For players, they need to wonder what they want from their legacy. There’s so much more for him to do in football, and fans sometimes look past that.
I don’t blame them for booing, but they don’t see it in the same way.
Should Liverpool sign Mbeumo to damage Man Utd?
I’ve said for months now that I see Bryan Mbeumo as a logical replacement for Mo Salah when Mo eventually goes.
I’m not suggesting he’s the equal of Salah, but he can do well on that right-hand side, knows the leagues and is a proven goalscorer.
I thought at the start of the transfer window that he’d be a solid addition for Liverpool, but my, if they got him now, that would be incredible.
It would set back United, and send a huge message that Liverpool are now able to swoop in for players who are set for Manchester United, and bring them to Anfield instead.
Leicester
What do you make of Marti Cifuentes’ appointment as the new boss?
I think his arrival suits how Leicester City now see themselves, and what they’re aiming to be as a club.
They had Enzo Maresca, who as we see with Chelsea now, plays really expansive football and wants to dominate possession. It’s about possession and creating overloads all over the pitch. Steve Cooper, who came next, was more direct but still wanted to play attractive football, and Ruud van Nistelrooy also wanted his side to keep hold of the ball.
Obviously, Ruud struggled with the players at his disposal, and it’s up to Marti to make it work now. It’s all well and good getting the manager in, but you need the right players too.
How did Leicester fans treat you when you left?
When I left Leicester it wasn’t like when Trent Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool. I was going to Liverpool, and they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest.
So, where do you really go from there? There isn’t any move that is a clear move upwards in football. There’s a handful who are on a par with them, and usually when players leave, they’re doing it once they are past their prime and in decline, they’re moving down.
No disrespect to Leicester, of course, but when I left it was to move to a bigger club, which isn’t quite the same for Trent.
Do you think Jamie Vardy could do a job for Newcastle?
He’d be suited to any team, to be honest with you. He’s got that experience. The thing is when you have that much experience within the league, any team can suit you. He has huge experience too. He’s won the Premier League, won the FA Cup, scored more than 100 goals in the Premier League. He’s got vast experience.
But he’s 38 now, so he’s not going to be able to give you everything he used to be able to, at least not week in, week out, day in, day out. He’ll need to be managed, but there’s no doubt he gives you great value.
But I think it goes a little bit against how Newcastle operate. They tend to focus on younger, energetic players.
Do you think Leicester’s owners have a strategy?
You would like to think they know what they’re doing, and have a sensible strategy. With the managers they’re going for recently, it’s a move away from Leicester’s traditional identity. We used to be known for fighting, working hard and hustling, but times have changed and they need to move forward.
The club have decided to play more attractive football and I think the fans back that, because they always give the club their support. One thing they’re doing is to always give youth players their chance, which they need to develop. Will Alves, Jake Evans, Jayden Joseph and Jeremy Monga all have the ability.
Can they go straight back up this season?
I’ll be very surprised if they do but I wouldn’t put it past them, especially with the new manager they’ve got in. If he can dominate possession in the Championship, you’ve almost done half your job.
If he gets that right with the possession side of things, then I’d expect Leicester to do very well, so I won’t put it past him. If I’m honest, I’m not quite convinced though. When they went down with the squad they’ve got, it makes it hard.
They now have to balance the books and sell some of their best players, but keep a spine that can still go up this year. With PSR, I think the ambition could and should be to consolidate. PSR is hitting them hard.
If they keep their Championship status this year and then build on that with a good structure of youth players, they will have a chance.
Who would you compare Jeremy Monga to?
It’s hard to compare Jeremy Monga to too many current players. Right now he’s a dribbler, he’s a winger who likes to take players on and beat his man.
There aren’t many players with a similar makeup to him, but Jeremy Doku of Manchester City has a lot of similarities.
Doku dribbles, drops his shoulder, takes a step away from the defender, uses stepovers to send his opponents one way or another.
He plays on the left too, as a right-footer, and loves to cut inside. He’s a great dribbling winger and I hope he can achieve big things.
Is there a player that they have to keep hold of?
One player they need to keep this season is Jeremy Monga. There was talk about him going to some of the biggest clubs in England, like Manchester United and Manchester City, and I think Paris Saint-Germain were also involved at some point.
It’s great they kept hold of him. Keeping Wilfried Ndidi is another one they need to keep hold of, because he’s got so much experience. He knows what it’s like to play in the Championship, the style of football that’s needed. I don’t know if he’ll be there come the start of the season, and the same for Hamza Choudhury, because he gives them that steel in midfield, which you need. You need a player with spitefulness and bite, and he’s got that.
Is Steve Claridge’s 1996 goal against Manchester United the best goal you were part of?
I think it’s the best goal I was ever involved in, yeah. I don’t think I know of a better assist than that.
The fascinating thing with the goal is that it doesn’t get remembered as it should, because it was in the League Cup. It doesn’t have the right place in history.
I think it should be more prominent, definitely. There’s a great run, then the ball to me, then I flick it on to Steve who produces an outstanding volley. It was all in one, fluid movement. At the time you think, ‘Wow!’ but now nobody talks about it.
When you think about it, it’s a really good goal, but nobody mentions it. It was against a good United side too, not full strength, but they had a lot of their best players in that team and we beat them.
Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers is a target for Chelsea – should he remain for one more season at Villa Park?
I think he’s ready. But it’d be interesting to see Chelsea try to get him, because Villa don’t really need to be selling their prize assets.
But we keep coming back to PSR, and clubs will now always weigh up a good offer for their players, and selling Rogers might help them balance the books, and he’s one of their most valuable players.
I’m not sure where he’d fit in with Chelsea right now, though, even if Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke go. He’s going to be behind Cole Palmer in the pecking order.
It would be interesting as it’s another Manchester City player who might make their way to Chelsea, but I think he should spend another year at Villa, at least. He’s going well, the club are on the up, and they could break into that top four this season. That’s a really big challenge and a good one for him, too.
I think if he did go to Chelsea, he could be fantastic, but for Chelsea it might be overkill, buying players for the sake of it.
Did Marcus Rashford do enough at Villa to earn a move to Barcelona?
I don’t think it matters too much what he did at Aston Villa. We already knew what he was capable of, and I don’t think we found out anything new while he was on loan.
What that loan did though was put him back on the map in football. It showed him in a fresh light, that he was back in love with football and enjoying being back on the pitch.
The loan with Villa gave him a smile and more freedom, so I don’t think what he did on the pitch was as important as the way he did it.
Everything he has done in the past is enough to warrant a move to Barcelona in many ways, and I can see him succeeding there. It’ll be great to see him apply his trade somewhere new and really test himself. He has the talent, now is the time to show his consistency, and keep enjoying things.
Would you bring Douglas Luiz back to Villa?
I thought he was brilliant when he was there, to be honest with you. I was very surprised that Villa let him go. I wonder if they were more concerned with balancing the books and felt they could turn down an offer.
They might miss him now, even though Youri Tielemans has come through and been fantastic. But bringing Luiz back would give them more options, and having him alongside Onana as well gives Unai Emery plenty to think about.
It gives Villa a new angle, they can set up more conservatively or more attacking, and they will be solid either way. It could be a smart move to bring him back from Juventus.
Is Emi Martinez taking a step down if he joins Manchester United?
I can see why people would say it’s a step down, but it’s interesting. You’ve got to remember that Manchester United are a huge club even now, and they’ll be massive when they finally get it right again. They’ll be in another universe when that happens.
So for Emi, I don’t think it’s a step down if he gets that move to Manchester United, but he can’t kid himself. He’d be going to a club in crisis at the moment. Does he want that?
The pressure on the players to perform now is too much for nine out of 10 players. Only Bruno Fernandes has relished it and embraced it, while others have fallen away.
Manchester United
Are United making the same mistakes by waiting until the last minute to make signings?
It seems like it’s their favoured strategy and again, it’s not working. I think they’ve got Jason Wilcox in place now, and knowing him, he won’t just be looking at this window, but looking for the next five and 10 years into the future.
That’s the timeframe he’s looking at to get Manchester United back to where they need to be and where we’re used to.
So right now, he won’t be operating just in this window, he’ll be looking for the one after that and the one in the next summer.
Despite all that though, it’s not great. You see it time and time again at United, and it works against them. Everyone knows they’re desperate and so they overpay for players, don’t give their new signings the time to integrate, and then you’re left with a huge mess to unpack once again.
I think it could take at least a decade to weed out a lot of the problems and the unwanted players they have there.
Do you think Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing for United or a desperate one?
I don’t see it being a sensible signing, Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Manchester United, if I’m honest with you. Whether he’s a backup or not, I can’t make sense of that signing.
Don’t get me wrong, when he’s fit, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been fantastic for Everton in his time there, but he’s spent so long on the sidelines at different points that signing him would be a huge gamble. I don’t think that’s what United can afford right now.
Arsenal
Is it a concern that Viktor Gyokeres was willing to skip training if he does not get his way?
We’ve seen so many players do this over the years, haven’t we? I think when English fans and the press look at it, we don’t really enjoy seeing players going on strike. It doesn’t sit well with us, and it’s generally not how we conduct ourselves in football.
The warning I’d give to Arsenal here is if he’s willing to go on strike to join you, he’ll be willing to go on strike again to leave. When a manager brings over a player like that he needs to be prepared for it to backfire on him.
This kind of thing happens in public and we find out, but believe me, it happens in private more than you’d imagine.
Tottenham
Are you surprised Nottingham Forest have reported Spurs over Morgan Gibbs-White when most clubs now seem to approach players before even making a bid?
I think the concept of tapping up these days is pretty interesting. I think that if you look at 99 percent of transfers these days, you’ll find out that players have been tapped up long before they make a transfer official, or for negotiations to even begin between players.
When you’re losing a player in those circumstances, you’ll always feel hard done by, and particularly when it’s a player as talented as Morgan Gibbs-White.
Taking legal action is a huge step, and I don’t know if ultimately it’ll be necessary, but it won’t hurt as a ploy to get a few more million in negotiations. But I think the two sides should sit together and work out any differences now, in a room.
Do you think Mohammed Kudus is a gamble given he was not at his best last year?
I really rate Mohammed Kudus and I backed him for a big transfer, but yes, last season’s drop-off is my biggest concern about him.
The decline in form was quite alarming. He was a talisman and then he fell away, and it was never really easy to see why he couldn’t be the player he was at his best. The goals falling off, it was a lot, and I think he needs to put that right quickly at Tottenham, or the pressure will be on.
England
Do you think Trent Alexander-Arnold will become even better at Real Madrid?
I definitely hope he kicks on at Real Madrid. When you move to any team, you want to make it better, but not only do you want to enhance the team, you want to improve as a player too.
He’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world in a brilliant league, and you hope he will drive himself on to become even better. At the top of the game, you can’t stand still, you have to keep getting better. The players who stand still get left behind.
He has to get better in every respect. He needs to be a better defender, better going forward, improve his decision-making, and get fitter and stronger.
What was it like playing under Capello?
I enjoyed playing under Capello. Yeah, he was a bit of a disciplinarian and not everyone enjoyed that. To me, he was a typical Italian. He was screaming and shouting, pulling you here and there, telling you to do one thing and then another.
But that didn’t bother me. The way I saw it was that if he was always on at me, it meant he was interested in me. I was getting screamed at every five minutes, and I appreciated it. Other players didn’t, but I knew it meant that he was making sure I could do what he wanted.
Other players were having a nervous breakdown, and I could see their point of view because he was so intense. But he rubbed others up the wrong way. They just didn’t understand him.
I remember once we got off a flight, and because we were late, we went straight to dinner and we were all texting our family to check in. We weren’t meant to have a phone at dinner and he went ballistic at me, throwing things everywhere, but I just thought, that’s him! I never took it personally, it’s just how he is.
Is it an advantage to have TAA and Jude Bellingham playing together regularly?
Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold with each other at Real Madrid could be a huge advantage for Thomas Tuchel this year.
I’ve always said that the toughest thing about international football is that the manager has to get 25 players together for a week or 10 days, and there are seven different strategies and philosophies, and you need them all to buy into just one, yours.
By having Trent and Bellingham together, they bring with them an understanding that could be priceless, and it gives them camaraderie already coming into the game when they play for England.
Who can rival TAA at right-back?
Trent Alexander-Arnold does not have right-back locked down under Thomas Tuchel. He’s got more than enough competition.
Reece James at Chelsea, he just won the Club World Cup, won the Conference League before then, and he’s looking fitter. Reece has done a fantastic job in getting back to the first team, and he has the ability to give Trent a run for his money with England.
He’s not the only one, either, Tino Livramento at Newcastle. He’s a young lad, and gives you something different. When you’re younger, the game is simple. He doesn’t overthink, he gets things done.
Can Foden, Bellingham and Palmer play in the same England team?
I think Phil Foden is just not performing at the levels that we’d come to expect of him. We know he can be better than this.
I’ve got every faith that he’ll get back to that level, but unfortunately for him, other players have stepped up and moved well ahead of him.
But don’t count Phil out. He’s a fantastic player, and if you get him in the right position and he’s at his best, he’s unplayable.
We can’t give up on him yet, for me it’s just a blip.
Birmingham City
Is it between Kyogo and Stansfield to be top scorer in the league next season?
I think that they will be the leading candidates to be the top scorer. That competition can be healthy, but only if they don’t play at the expense of each other.
Kyogo and Stansfield need to pass to each other and help each other, and the scoring competition should be an afterthought. You want it to be healthy.
Stansfield had 20-plus goals last season, and I think he’ll be looking not just to equal that, but get even more in the Championship.
Do Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield form the most dangerous forward line in the league?
I think it can be the most dangerous strike partnership in the Championship. The experience Kyogo has of playing for Celtic means he has played for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and Scottish football is tough.
He can handle the pressure of that, but I don’t think it’ll all be easy for him in the Championship. It’s physical and it’s intense, and that’s never easy.
But then he’ll be with Stansfield who has been fantastic, and just won the Euros. His movement is outstanding. What he has to handle now is the step up in quality, and we have to see how he deals with the physical and mental demands. If they can manage all that, they’ll be one of the best duos in the league.
Could Birmingham be promoted this season?
I’m sure Birmingham City can call themselves favourites to go up. That’s such a hard task to go straight from League One, into the Championship and then onto the Premier League at the first try.
In their eyes, they will know they’ve spent a lot of money, and they have a new stadium on the horizon. They will know the timeframe they need to be in the Premier League by. I think this season might be too soon, but within the next five years, they will want to make it happen.
They’re going to be a natural fit for the Premier League. I can’t wait to see the derby with Villa again.
General
What do you think of James McAtee leaving Man City?
I’m surprised that he’s leaving. But with Oscar Bobb coming back, he’s going to have so much competition to get games at City.
At his age, you need to be playing regular games, not just 10 starts and some sub appearances. You want to play regular football, and he can get that at another team.
He’ll want to know what it means to be in the squad every week, playing all the time and being under pressure to deliver. The pathways that City have, they’ve been fantastic in giving young players the choice to leave and forge their careers.
A lot have gone to Germany already, so I think he has a bright future. He’s won the Euros, he was vital to that, he’s a great player.
Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo can top score at the 2026 World Cup?
I wouldn’t put it past him. His sole aim is to beat records, and I think he’s got the ability and opportunity to do that again at the World Cup.
You don’t see him running around crazy like he used to. Now, he just knows where to be in the box and the team work for that. They will put the ball in the area for him, so he can still do it. His movement in the box is still great, even if there isn’t much from him on the rest of the pitch.
Right now he needs to work on staying fit. He will know his body, and it’ll tell him when he’s doing too much. He will need a good relationship with his coach, so he pulls him out of games or sessions he doesn’t need to be in. It’s about managing his movement now, lasting the full 90 minutes.
Are you expecting to see Paul Pogba back in a France shirt?
Pogba was a great player and he still has tremendous talent. He’s made a mistake, and he’s paid for that now. It’s nice to see him back and I’m hoping to see just how good he can be again.
He’s not played regularly for the best part of four years, with the ban and injuries. I don’t know what he will have to offer these days. We need to see what Pogba we’re getting back.
You never lose the ability he has, but given he’s been out so long, at 32, it’s going to be so hard to be thrown back into the game.
He can’t afford to come back humble, though. You need that arrogance, every player does. He needs to be motivated to show he is still one of the best in the world, and he’s going to be a target for the opposition because of the name on his back.
I hope he gets back to his best, but I don’t see him getting back into the World Cup for the France team.
Is Lionel Messi someone you’d bring to Liverpool on a short-term loan ahead of the World Cup?
I’m sure all of the Premier League sides will be interested in taking Lionel Messi on loan from Inter Miami. The explosion in shirt sales and marketing would be incredible. We never saw Inter Miami shirts outside of Miami before he arrived, now they’re everywhere. He has a crazy impact.
In terms of football, the only ones who could accommodate him are the top four, but none of them will play a style that will allow him to take it easy throughout a game. He doesn’t have that intensity anymore.
If he wants to go back then probably France would suit him, because I think Italy is too intense. But I think Spain, and Barcelona, is the natural fit. He can’t go anywhere else, can he?
Who is a player who matches Haaland for professionalism?
James Milner was like that, he was so dedicated. James did everything he could, by the book. He was focused on stretching before every session, making sure everything was right.
After training, more stretching, then he was going to the gym when everyone else had already gone home.
He was always making sure to eat well and sleep right. If I had to compare Erling Haaland’s dedication, it would be to James.
Which side do you think has had the best transfer window so far?
I think the best window so far is Liverpool’s. They got Florian Wirtz, who I think adds an edge to their midfield, and I think Jeremie Frimpong is such a versatile player on the right flank.
As well as that, you’ve got Milos Kerkez, and they could be getting more players in before the transfer window is closed.
To get Wirtz when everyone else was linked to him, that’s a huge statement. To get it done early, too, could be important.
They’re like United used to be. They find what they want, they go into the transfer market and get it done. It’s pinpoint.
I can remember when United found Van Nistelrooy and went straight for him. Now Liverpool are that team.
Who do you think will top score next season?
I think it’s between Haaland and Salah next season, and I think Isak is in with a shout too. I think it’s between those three. Whatever people think about Salah, his numbers are crazy and he does it year after year, even into his thirties.
If I had to pick one, I’d lean towards Haaland. That’s because all Erling thinks about is goals. That’s all he needs to do, just put them away.
The way the team is set up, he can just focus on scoring and if he’s not at his fittest, it might not even matter. He could still get 34 goals next season.
Why do so many players, like Owen and Rooney, think you are their best strike partner?
I just had the knack of understanding what you want as a player and understanding what I bring.
You have to remember that I wasn’t just a striker, I played several positions. I wasn’t just an out-and-out striker each match. I played left wing, right wing, I was a No. 10. If you wanted me to run around in midfield, I could do that as well.
My focus was playing up front but I could understand the different ways that could be done, and how to enhance not just the team in general, but each team-mate I played alongside too.
Do you think you sacrificed your goalscoring abilities to be a better striker partner?
I don’t think I sacrificed anything. I just played the way that I wanted to play, and that was to just make sure I did what we needed to win games.
Strikers can be very selfish, and to some extent they need to be. But if we lost and I’d scored twice, I wouldn’t think, job done. Some do.
For me, I wanted to win games more than anything else. So it wasn’t always about scoring, it was about winning games because that brought in trophies. And that was what I was all about.
Did your confidence suffer from criticism?
I was quite happy. There weren’t really too many fans giving me grief. I felt the media led some fans in that direction. But wherever I went and played, the fans always appreciated me, so it was more the media.
I don’t focus on it. If I was bad as some people said, I wouldn’t have kept getting picked. I just carried on the way I wanted to, and did what the manager asked.
Lots of players will ignore managers, but unless you’re giving 20, 30, 40 goals a season, you don’t really have a right to. I gave the manager what they wanted in their game plan. I wanted to implement that, not do whatever I wanted.
Could Bolton go up this season?
I think they’re still struggling. The last manager did really well to get them to a certain point and then it became almost impossible to kick on further.
I think it’d be great if they could get into the play-offs, and a bit of luck might see them promoted.
Bolton’s big strength is that they can call upon their fans. I always loved the Bolton fans. They were passionate and always got behind us.
When I was at Bolton I was 36, so I couldn’t give the same amount as I used to. I used to be running the channels, but that was stopped when I was there. I focused on doing my work in the area and concentrating on that.
What do Wigan need?
Unless Wigan get an injection of cash to get some stability and bring in bodies in the transfer market, I think the thing for them is to consolidate in the league for another year, and try to build back slowly.
I loved my time with Wigan, to be honest. The fans were great and we had a wonderful team spirit in the squad.
Not only that, we had some good players in Antonio Valencia, Wilson Palacios, and others. Players were coming through and we had a decent side.
But we were victims of our own success because when you’re that kind of club, when you play well, the big clubs come calling. Players leave and you have to replace them well, and they might still be struggling with that.
What impact did Martin O’Neill have on you?
Martin O’Neill had a huge impact on my life in football. He really had such an influence at the early part of my career.
He instilled confidence and belief in me. He said that I was going to play, and I knew that I was going to get regular minutes.
He would tell me how he wanted me to play, and if I did that, he was full of praise. If I didn’t, I’d get criticism, a bit of a bollocking.
But if I did what he told me and I got tackled, or it didn’t work, that was OK. My job was to enjoy playing, stick to my strengths, run with the ball and take it forward. With Martin, I could trust him and myself. That just gave me so much confidence.
What impact did Gerard Houllier have on you?
Gerard Houllier was like a father figure to me at Liverpool.
He was someone who taught me so much about football when I moved there from Leicester.
The big difference between Leicester and Liverpool was that at Leicester, we didn’t do many meetings at all. When I joined Liverpool, it was like meetings upon meetings upon meetings!
But because of that, I learned so much. I learned not just about tactics and the information you need, but I learned about what I needed to do in my position, learned how we wanted to play, and I learned more about my team-mates too.
You learn what you’re doing and why you’re doing, and when that happens you improve. I really enjoyed that.
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