Aston Villa Striker Emile Heskey Admits He Used To Prefer Athletics To Football

Aston Villa target man Emile Heskey, a player with a reputation for both power and pace over the course of his career, has admitted that football was very much a second choice of sport for him when he was younger.

Instead, the former Leicester City man preferred to test himself on the athletics track, and it was only later that his love for football developed.

"I liked athletics more when I was younger," he explained to Villa's official website.

"But obviously when you get the ball and start playing football it's great. You can play football all the time.

"You can't really do athletics all the time, but I liked athletics more when I was younger."

His heroes, though, come from football, with two exciting front men being the characters Heskey looked up to as a youngster, as well as a certain political figure who was also a source of inspiration for the striker.

"In football I've always looked up to the likes of John Barnes and Ian Wright," he added.

"They were great players and great ambassadors for footballers. The way they played it with focus was good.

"I'd like to meet Nelson Mandela. I had a picture with him when I was with England. That was good so I'd like to meet him properly and have a little chat with him."

Meanwhile, former Villa striker Stan Collymore has hailed Heskey, adding his voice to the chorus of praise from former strike partners of the England international.

"I know Emile very well from our days at Leicester," Collymore said to Villa's official website.

"I'm certainly one of the band of strikers who have nothing but praise for him.

"He will be a fantastic striker for Villa. He is an experienced player who can help to bring on Villa's youngsters and he's a nice lad who fits in well in the dressing room.

"He's a lovely down-to-earth lad and Martin has worked with him before so I reckon Villa could get the best out of him.

"Maybe he doesn't score as many goals as he would like but that's not really important when you have a player who holds the ball up so well and brings his team-mates into the game."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com