EX-RED HESKEY REFLECTS ON HOULLIER'S TREBLE-WINNING TEAM

EMILE

- BY RYAN PATON

Heskey realised a boyhood dream when he signed for Liverpool in 2000.Then-Reds manager Gerard Houllier made the striker the club's most expensive ever signing when he made the £11m move from Leicester City.

Heskey more than repaid the faith shown by the Frenchman, who sadly died five years ago this week, as he was a key player in the club's treble-winning campaign in his first full season for Liverpool.

Heskey said joining the Reds meant the world to him as they were the team he supported growing up. He said: "John Barnes was my favourite player so I was a Liverpool fan from a young age. I had Villa, Spurs and a few others abroad that were interested in me.

"But when I knew Liverpool were interested, I knew I wanted to go there."

Heskey had experience of playing in big games, as he played at Wembley on numerous occasions for his local team, Leicester City, where he won the League Cup twice. However, he said this paled in comparison to the magnitude of playing for Liverpool.

He added: "I was used to winning things as such. But then you come to an environment where you have to win. You don't know the magnitude of a club until you go and play there.

"That was when I was realised how big Liverpool was. When you go to a club that has the history of Liverpool, there's a must to be in those cup finals and to keep winning."

The 47-year-old (inset) said it truly hit home how much wearing the Liverpool shirt meant ahead of his first Merseyside derby when he noticed the shift in personality of his strike partner Michael Owen.

He said: "I played against Everton for Leicester and it's a normal Premier League game, but then you come to the Merseyside derby and that's a totally different kettle of fish.

"I knew it, but I didn't know if that makes sense. You see everyone possessed. You see Michael swearing and shouting.