Emile Heskey training with Bolton Wanderers

Heskey a free agent after leaving Newcastle Jets and could return to English football

Emile Heskey could be in line for a return to English football after training with Neil Lennon’s Bolton Wanderers
Emile Heskey could be in line for a return to English football after training with Neil Lennon’s Bolton Wanderers

Former England striker Emile Heskey could be set for a return to English football after training with Bolton this week.

The 36-year-old, who was capped 62 times at international level, is a free agent having spent two years in Australia with the Newcastle Jets following spells with Aston Villa, Wigan, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leicester.

While with the Foxes Heskey played alongside current Wanderers boss Neil Lennon and the Northern Irishman has granted Heskey an opportunity to work alongside his current squad at their Euxton training base.

Heskey trained with Bolton on Tuesday, but it is unclear if Lennon is running the rule over the forward with a view to offering him a contract with the Sky Bet Championship club.

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Last month Heskey expressed an interest in returning to play on these shores, stating he would “love” to rejoin Leicester again if the Barclays Premier League outfit asked him.

But Foxes boss Nigel Pearson later insisted the striker, who already works for the club in an ambassadorial role, would not be back as a Leicester player.

Bolton's need for an experienced striker is more evident, though, with the out-of-sorts Jermaine Beckford recently jettisoned to Preston on loan for the remainder of the campaign and Heskey is not the only veteran forward in training sessions.

Eidur Gudjohnsen has been training with his old club for nearly a month now and the ex-Chelsea and Barcelona forward played 90 minutes for Wanderers’ under-21s against Middlesbrough on Monday.

Gudjohnsen, like Heskey, is 36, and the two have 140 international caps between them.

On the prospect of signing Gudjohnsen, Lennon told The Bolton News last week: “The signs are very positive. I’m not saying it’s a done deal, a lot will be down to finances as well, but I think we’re close.”