Aston Villa: Why Emile Hesky is fitter than when he was a teenager
Feb 7 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
Emile Heskey celebrates his goal.
MARTIN O’Neill admits Emile Heskey is in better condition now than when he was a teenager – and the Villa boss revealed that he still refers to the 31-year-old as “boy”!
Heskey has made an immediate impact at Villa Park and the £3.5million striker’s arrival has taken his manager on a fond trip down memory lane to their Leicester days.
O’Neill has been delighted to find Heskey in tip-top condition, so much so that he still sometimes mistakes the experienced target-man for the young lad of 13 years ago.
“Somebody said that I still called him ‘boy’. Well, he is a boy when you get to my age! He said he’s 31 now so maybe I still treat him as the 18-year-old I remember.
“He’s great. The players have taken to him immediately. I couldn’t be more pleased with him, but I know it’s very early on.
“He looks in great condition. I actually think he looks leaner now than he did when he was 18.
