A club-record signing in March 2000 and a player Gerard Houllier identified as a key part of his Liverpool renaissance, it didn’t take long for Emile Heskey to win admirers at Anfield.
His 22 goals in 56 appearances during the iconic treble season only partially highlight the role he played within the team, with a presence on the pitch that allowed others, as well as himself, to flourish.
But while joining Liverpool helped unlock the best years of his long career, Heskey explains that living away from home for the first time as a young man resulted in feelings of homesickness that gave him doubts about his future on Merseyside.
We’ll also gain an insight to Houllier’s management style, why there are no regrets over not celebrating that historic treble in the way most would have expected and how he’s helping guide not one but two sons through football academy life.