Emile Heskey speaks positively on son's Sheffield Wednesday stint despite getting 'battered'
Former England international Emile Heskey has spoken about the positive experience his son Jaden is taking from his time on loan with Sheffield Wednesday - despite the side’s on-field struggles.
The former Liverpool forward, who enjoyed a distinguished career in which he played for his country 62 times including in four major tournaments, is the latest ex-player to see his son represent the Owls. Heskey Junior is on loan from Manchester City and has made 12 appearances in which Wednesday are yet to win.
The loan could have ben confirmed last summer before recruitment constraints stood in its way. A January arrival has offered the 20-year-old a first chance at cutting his teeth in senior football away from the experience of coming through at one of the most fated academies in world football.
Speaking to GOAL, Emile said: “When you're training with the first-team et cetra, you're getting a really great understanding. But training with them as opposed to going out to Sheffield Wednesday and getting battered, it's a little bit different, but he's [Jaden] enjoying that.
“He's loving that side of the battle because emotionally it just sends you on a roller coaster as well, but you've still got to be up for the next game. You've got another game in three days' time, so you've got to be up for that battle all the time. Different types of football, not having the best players all the time. This is all part and parcel of football.”
Emile has another footballer son, Reigan, who is 18 and has been training with City’s first team in recent months. The ex-Aston Villa target man burst onto the scene with Leicester City and never experienced a loan switch - but knows all about the benefits it can provide his sons and others.
“I think within football you need to have senior experience,” he said. “Because the reality is you could be the best at 16, 17, 18 until you go and get that experience. You play against a grown man who has experience, who probably isn't your level but the mental side and the understanding of things positional-wise can better you.
“You need to figure all that out and then you're figuring out things during the game. So all players I would say at a young age need to get that experience. You look at the young lad down in London, [Max] Dowman, at 15, 16 what he's doing. It's all well and good doing it at 15, 16 against 18-year-olds but when you go into the first team if you can't do it there and it doesn't transcend into that, it really doesn't matter.
“So yes, at some stage and that's why with Jaden we had to take a jump of getting first-team football as opposed to being captain of the 21's and winning the 21's trophies and all the accolades that come with that. That's great but you need to play first team football because long-term that's what matters.”