During the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, England defeated Germany 5-1 on their home pitch on September 1, 2001. The victory, which was spearheaded by Sven-Goran Eriksson and featured well-known players like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Steven Gerrard, signalled the start of the Three Lions’ “golden generation.”
Throughout the decade, a wealth of talent emerged, raising hopes that England might win a major event for the first time since the World Cup in 1966. Teams like Brazil proved that expertise on the international scene was the key to success, but they ultimately failed due to a string of near-misses and dramatic departures.
Rivaldo, who joined Ronaldo and Ronaldinho to form the renowned “Three Rs.”, was one of Brazil’s most notable players during that World Cup. Rivaldo solidified his place among Brazil’s greatest players by scoring in five of his seven games. He curiously thought there was one England player from that era who might have fit right in, though, despite his team’s supremacy.
An Englishman Selected by Emile Heskey to Join the Brazil 2002 Team
According to Rivaldo, the Selecao needed a player with Heskey’s calibre.
Emile Heskey is one of the best players from England’s so-called “golden generation,” yet it’s easy to forget about him. However, according to TalkSPORT, Rivaldo mentioned him first in an interview with Liverpool.com in 2002. “Some English fans may be very critical of Heskey, but I don’t see it that way,” the 1999 Ballon d’Or winner stated.
“I realised what a great player he is after playing against him a few times for Barcelona against Liverpool in the Champions League. It didn’t take me long to start considering Heskey’s strength and character weight.
“I explained his danger to the other players [in Brazil].” His approach to attacking the Premiership is admirable. Therefore, Heskey is the Englishman I believe would be able to handle playing for my team, Brazil.
🗣️ Emile Heskey: “Rivaldo told me I was the only English player good enough for Brazil. He knew how good I could be.”
Imagine the front three of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho & Heskey 😍🔥 pic.twitter.com/ppUJSbQbb8
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) December 18, 2024
Emile Heskey’s Disrespected Career
The big centre-forward was never given the flowers he deserved
Heskey, who was a regular for England under Sven Goran Eriksson, was modest and diligent. However, he also received a lot of derisive remarks regarding his skills and whether or not he should be included in England’s starting lineup. He soon became one of those players that the people of his country just couldn’t watch without making fun of him.
Occasionally, this even turned into animosity, which seemed especially disrespectful when the Liverpool cult hero was only carrying out his assigned duty of holding the ball up and bringing midfielders into play. Although he only scored 154 goals in 742 club games, it is unfair to say that he did not give his all for his teammates during those contests.
Please enjoy 59 seconds of Emile Heskey reigning supreme at Liverpool.pic.twitter.com/uMKC4U6xfE
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) January 7, 2023
Since hanging up his boots, Heskey has continued to be active in football, serving as a forwards coach at Macclesfield FC. He has demonstrated his unwavering passion for the beautiful game by serving as the assistant manager for the England under-18 team and as the head of women’s football development at Leicester. However, it’s another matter entirely whether he could have truly taken the position of a fully recovered Ronaldo or Ronaldinho.
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