Melbourne Heart FC assistant coach Hayden Foxe knows all about the threat of Newcastle Jets frontman Emile Heskey.
Melbourne Heart FC Head Coach John Aloisi (L) talks tactics with his second in command, assistant Hayden Foxe against Wellington Phoenix in round two.
Melbourne Heart FC assistant coach Hayden Foxe knows all about the threat of Newcastle Jets front-man Emile Heskey, having played against the Jets’ number nine on two occasions.
Foxe plied his trade in the English Premier League for Portsmouth and West Ham United when Heskey was at English giant Liverpool in the early 2000s.
“I remember playing against him when he was at Liverpool a couple of times, he was [a] very good, strong player and very difficult one to play against. He was in the Les Ferdinand mould,” Foxe said.
And while Foxe faced a dangerous Heskey in his prime, the Melbourne Heart assistant has relayed the message to his players to not underestimate Heskey in the twilight of his career.
“Don-t try and wrestle him; because he will win the physical battle because he-s a man-giant,” Foxe said.
“But he-s very, very clever in the box. He makes very good runs and if you don-t let him across you and in front of you that-s half the key, because once he gets across you then you can get back around on the other side of him.
“I-ve got that across that to all our defenders and to whoever could be picking him up – because it could be a midfielder who is picking him up in the box and any player at any given time may have to come and mark Heskey in the box so they know their roles and their jobs.”
Foxe hopes that Heskey won’t be a handful and Heart can replicate a win he experienced with Portsmouth.
“We beat them [Heskey-s Liverpool] 1-0 so hopefully we can recreate that [today],” Foxe said.
