Emile Heskey has confirmed he would love to spend next season at Bolton Wanderers, having enjoyed his time at the club thus far.
The former England international was a surprise signing by the Lancashire club in December, when Neil Lennon offered him and fellow veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen the chance to resume their careers in England. Heskey arrived following a two-year stint in Australia with Newcastle Jets, and he made an instant impact on his return to his homeland with a goal on his debut against Blackburn Rovers.
Although that strike remains the only one the 37-year-old has registered for the Trotters, he has assisted three goals and has now made 13 appearances in all competitions. Heskey was given a short-term contact at the Macron Stadium which is due to expire at the end of the campaign, but he admits he would love the opportunity to sign a new deal to extend his stay at the club.
“I’d love to stay for another year, definitely,” said Heskey, who scored seven goals in 62 outings for England and played at the 2002 and 2010 World Cup. “I’ve enjoyed it. The lads have taken to me really well, I feel at home and I’ve got a great feeling for the club and the legs feel good. I’ve played for so long it’s about the enjoyment and putting on that shirt and every week I enjoy that.”
Speaking earlier this month, Lennon paid tribute to his two veteran strikers. Whilst Heskey has shown he still has plenty to offer at Championship level, the same could certainly be said of Gudjohnsen. The former Chelsea star, who won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, has scored five league goals for Bolton and has also been recalled at the Iceland squad at the age of 36.
“They’ve made a huge contribution to what we are trying to do,” he said. “Heskey has been a model of consistency and Eidur still has plenty left. His motivation is to get back into the Iceland squad, he’s done that and scored which is a great story. It’s a great example to a lot of players in the Championship, there were a few eyebrows raised and a few sniggers behind our backs when we brought these two in, but people aren’t laughing now.”
