Aston Villa: Emile Heskey encouraged to believe in his ability and shoot down former club Birmingham

Oct 31 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Sunday Mercury

ASTON Villa’s unlikely Holte End hot shot Emile Heskey has been backed to rock former club Birmingham with a bolt from the Blues in today’s Brum derby.

Heskey is currently in the best scoring form of his claret and blue career and could complete his transformation from zero to hero with a Villa goal against their fierce rivals.

The 32-year-old’s recent scoring streak has been something of a surprise given that he has hardly been prolific throughout his 14-year career in the Premier League.

But Gerard Houllier reckons the player nicknamed ‘Bruno’ because of his resemblance to the heavyweight boxer also packs a potent punch with his shooting boots.

Renditions of Heskey’s ‘Used to be s***e, but now he’s all right’ terrace chant are becoming increasingly common and his was the most asked for autograph at last week’s open training session at Villa Park.

And a decisive goal in today’s noon showdown against Alex McLeish’s men would surely catapult the former fall guy forward even further into the hearts of Holte Enders.

Heskey never truly convinced at St Andrew’s where his work-rate was appreciated more than his strike-rate of 16 goals in 78 league and cup appearances from 2004-06.

While Steve Bruce and Martin O’Neill struggled to bring the best out of the much-maligned battering ram, Heskey seems to respond to Houllier’s arm around his shoulder.

And Villa’s manager reckons the targetman has the ability to add to his four-goal tally so far this season – if he has the confidence to have more cracks at goal.

Heskey has been a scapegoat for club and country for long periods of his career – the burly striker has tended to be a target more often than he has hit the target

But Houllier prefers to accentuate the positives rather than dwell on the imitations and it seems to be having the desired effect.

Heskey stepped off the bench to inspire Villa to victory over Burnley and fire them into the Carling Cup quarter-finals in midweek.