Emile Heskey

“I watched players getting really battered by the coach and their head just goes down, they dont want to play, theyre not enjoying it. Back then theyd say: that shows mental weakness. No, you were just horrible.”

“Critics are going to be critics, people are always going to get on your back, but as long as you go out there and do your job, then that's all you can do.”

“I do media work and have some investments.”

“When you ask any player when they enjoyed their football, it was before the politics - when they just played, never thought about it.”

“You always compare yourself, on the pitch or in general life, and you can always learn. Youve obviously got to do a bit of studying yourself as well.”

“At Liverpool and England I formed a great partnership with Michael Owen who played off me with great success and in more recent times Wayne Rooney carried out a similar role.”

“When you leave school and go into an academy, you understand its about what you contribute to the team. What stuck with me was, win your own battle and help your mate.”

“Im from the East Midlands, and when I was playing youth team football, it was in the U18 Midlands league and Villa were the biggest team.”

“I wouldnt mind getting into coaching at some stage.”

“I was lucky enough. I won four League Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Super Cup and two Charity Shields. I went to two World Cups and two Euros.”

“Every striker wants to score more goals but as a target man I've always taken great delight in bringing other players into the game.”

“At times it's difficult for players to sit down with someone, a professional who hasn't been a player. It's easy for players to sit down with players and go through what they're going through and knowing that they've already been through it and they've come out the other end.”

“My childhood was spent in a poorish neighbourhood in Leicester so that makes you cherish money more than if youd had a lot.”

“But I loved my time with Liverpool - they were great times, fun times and emotional times.”

“I always wanted to play abroad, but Ill admit I didnt think it would be Australia.”

“Do your badges everyone tells me. Yeah, but badges wont get you a job. You could have the most educated coach sitting at home, you still have to be given the opportunity. And I know a lot of people arent getting those opportunities. Which is sad.”

“Football is about the team winning the game, it doesnt matter who scores, its who has won after 90 minutes, its 11 against 11. Players understand that.”

“Within football we've got this unwritten rule that we're all in this together, we're all one.”

“Critically, you have to remain positive and know you will recover, remembering if you didn't suffer injuries, you'd be a pretty remarkable competitor in any sport.”

“Its easy to underestimate how much scrutiny players are under in England. Look at someone like Wayne Rooney - having to deal with it since he was 16.”