Birmingham Sign Heskey

[evertonfan]

Birmingham sign Heskey

Birmingham have signed Liverpool striker Emile Heskey for an initial fee of £3.5m, which could rise to £6.25m.

The striker, who is in England's squad for Euro 2004, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at St Andrews.

Heskey was Liverpool's record signing when he joined from Leicester in 2000 for £11m, and he scored 60 goals in 277 appearances for the Reds.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce said: "This is an absolutely fantastic signing for the club - I am really excited."

Birmingham already have Mikael Forssell on another year's loan from Chelsea, and he should form a strike partnership with Heskey next season.

Leicester's Muzzy Izzet is being lined up on a Bosman free transfer - which would reunite the midfielder with ex-Foxes team-mates Heskey and Robbie Savage.

Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer is also a target - with Bruce promising to get most of his transfer market work done before his squad returns to pre-season training.

  I think at the start it will be Heskey and Mikael

Clinton Morrison is resigned to losing his place 

Speaking to the club's website, Bruce added: "Emile is still only 26 years old, has 40 England caps to his name and will be representing his country at Euro 2004.

"To pull off a signing like this is quite remarkable and I am really excited to add Emile to the squad for next season.

"Hopefully, he will be the first of several high-profile signings that we will be making this summer."

Republic of Ireland frontman Clinton Morrison - who partnered Forssell up front this season - expects to lose his place to Heskey.

"I think at the start it will be Heskey and Mikael because Mikael's had a great season and the club have paid a lot of money for Heskey," he said.

"But you've got to fight for your position and there will be a lot of competition for places here next season.

"Emile is a big man, he can lead the line, that's the job he does well and that's why he plays for England. He's a tremendous talent and he will do very well for Birmingham."

BBC Story

What do you think? Even if Bruce gets the best out of Emile, he'll still be crap, how he got into the England squad above Smith and Beattie is beyond me.

[cjt4ever]

Man, that is sad. I realy like Heskey and IMO a great player for Liverpool. Lets hope we get someone young and talented.

[Different Cloud]

Never really liked him.

I'm sure Liverpool will get an better player to replace him. Have they already signed Cisse?

[TheArsenal]

If I was a Birmingham fan I would be worried that the club had just bought Emile Heskey as a record signing.

[pigeon]

I've mixed feelings about this. He was tremendous in his first season when we won the treble, but he's not produced enough since. Only 60 goals speaks for itself.

He has got talent though, and I wish him well. He'll score a few for Brum, just hopefully not against us.

[Johnny Drama]

Heskey is atrocious he shouldnt be at Euro 2004.

[therockbox]

BBC Story

What do you think?  Even if Bruce gets the best out of Emile, he'll still be crap, how he got into the England squad above Smith and Beattie is beyond me.

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Balance. All of Englands strikers (bar Heskey) aren't really that strong in the air. Heskey is a strong player, and can hold the ball up well. Defoe, Owen and Vassell very rarely do that, and I think Heskey is probably better at it than Smith.

Still, this makes room for Cisse

[Thrilla]

Hahahaha... Birmingham just became the favourites for relegation next year

[evertonfan]

Balance.  All of Englands strikers (bar Heskey) aren't really that strong in the air.  Heskey is a strong player, and can hold the ball up well.  Defoe, Owen and Vassell very rarely do that, and I think Heskey is probably better at it than Smith.

Still, this makes room for Cisse 

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Beattie isn't exactly a short arse, and he's as good, if not better on the ground than Heskey, and falls over less.

[Johnny Drama]

yeh Heskey cant stay on his feet so good use of that power.

[therockbox]

Beattie isn't exactly a short arse, and he's as good, if not better on the ground than Heskey, and falls over less.

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He still can't compare to Heskey in the air. If England want to play it on the ground, they've got Owen, Vassell and Rooney. Plus, Beattie has looked uncomfortable whenever he's played for England. Heskey may be unreliable, but is unstoppable when he wants to be - which will be another key for England this summer.

And what's the point in having guys like Beckham/Gerrard/Lampard etc pinging in crosses if there's no-one that can get their head on it?

[supergrass]

Heskey is a good player, as seen in his recent performances. Heskey is strong and can pass and control the ball well. He plays great with a fast man like Owen feeding off the balls he flicks on.

He's the perfect choice for big games, like the one in Turkey, because he's got a good head on his shoulders and rarely reacts to any provocation. If Steve Bruce can get the best from him, which I think he can, he'll be more like the Heskey of old (Leicester) who was strong and ran with the ball.

[botchedpiledriver]

Heskey's a useful powerhouse forward, people have got to realise that he isn't an out and out goal machine. He sets goals up, flicks the ball on etc.

[fineintent]

I don't understand all the Heskey bashing - he can be a good player. He's good in the air and at holding the ball up. I would have taken Owen, Heskey, Rooney, Defoe and Smith to Euro 2004. (Vassell/Defoe are similar, Defoe scores more)

England need someone tall and strong like Heskey - most of England's team (minus Campbell) are short.

[evertonfan]

It's the whole "Heskey can be great when he wants to be" arguement that I just don't understand. England will need every player to be at their peak going into the France game, and Heskey, as everyone who supports him has said, can be great, but isn't always. Not that Beattie is a footballing god, but I'd much rather have him than Heskey.

The stats speak for themselves:

Beattie-17 goals

Heskey-12 goals

Gotta go with the players in form.

[TheArsenal]

The stats speak for themselves:

Beattie-17 goals

Heskey-12 goals

Gotta go with the players in form.

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You haven't told us which player is in form. Heskey could have scored 12 in six games where as Beattie could have scored 17 in 40 games.

If you're going to make a case like that at least present us with some real evidence.

[evertonfan]

Ok, form was a poor word to choose.

Gotta go with the player who has done his job the best this season.

Happy?

[G-O-D]

I don't think Heskey will do well at Birmingham.

I mean, if you can't score with good talent like Gerrard and Kewell supplying you with the ball, how can you score when David Dunn is the one supplying you with the ball?

Of course, Steve Bruce could prove me wrong.

[therockbox]

Heskey can hold up the ball better than Beattie, who is not a god at all - he's average at best. Heskey creates goals as well, so the whole 'so and so has scored more' argument is redundent.

[botchedpiledriver]

It's funny how the blue half of Birmingham has suddenly realised how gifted and talented Emile Heskey is, the opinions of him being a clumsy oaf who's always on the floor are gone.