🎤 Emile Heskey Exclusive Interview with OLBG

June 2025

• Liverpool should replace Darwin Nunez with Alexander Isak, Isak is “Haaland-esque” and proven in the Premier League
• Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid is understandable
• Liverpool should look beyond Luis Diaz
• Leicester’s relegation was inevitable and it’s time to rebuild with youth, Leicester need stability if Ruud van Nistelrooy departs
• Birmingham City expected to push for promotion again
• Aston Villa signing Rashford would be great but expensive - and more

Speaking exclusively to OLBG.com, football legend Emile Heskey has called on Liverpool to sign Alexander Isak as a replacement for Darwin Nunez, saying “he’s proven in the Premier League” and is “Haaland-esque”.

While he respects Darwin Nunez’s work rate, the former Liverpool forward says, “the reality is there are goals that need to be scored.”

On Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid, he added: “You can't begrudge a player wanting to do what he believes is right for his career.”

Heskey also hinted that Liverpool should look beyond Luis Diaz: “If they can get someone younger who can replace him, they should do that.”

Turning to his former club Leicester City, Heskey says, “It was inevitable” they’d be relegated, and now “it’s time for Leicester to rebuild”. He believes that the future lies in youth: “We've got some young lads, I believe we can really tap into and build something for the future.”

If Ruud van Nistelrooy leaves, he says, “whoever they bring in, it's about getting some stability.”

On Birmingham City, Heskey expects to see another push for promotion: “It's going to be very tough, but they're very ambitious as a club.”

As for Aston Villa: Signing Marcus Rashford “would be great”, but “the money could be better spent elsewhere.” He's fully behind a move to Villa for Jadon Sancho, and says, “They [Villa] should definitely try and sign Marco Asensio permanently.”

He warns that losing Emi Martinez to Man Utd would be a “huge, huge blow” for Villa, and is against a Jack Grealish return: “I wouldn't call for him to go back there.”

Heskey also insists Ollie Watkins should stay put at Villa, adding, “He's integral to the way that they play.”

Q: Can you see Liverpool retaining the Premier League title next season? Which clubs do you expect to challenge them for the title?

The clubs trying to challenge them next season will be Man City, as you’ve seen them buying players. I think Arsenal will challenge, they have been challenging for what's now two to three seasons already. I think Chelsea will mount another challenge. I thought they would probably be a bigger challenge this season than they were, but they still finished in the Champions League spaces and that's one step closer and another step forward.

So I think there'll be a three-to-four-team race for the Premier League title. I do see Liverpool being in that and I do see Liverpool mounting a really good challenge to win it again. Back to back is very tough, as we know, but they've brought players now and they've done their business early enough and that will help them in the long run. I do still see them as the front-runners to win it next season.

Q: What did you make of the Trent Alexander-Arnold situation?

You can't begrudge a player wanting to do what he believes is right for his career. He's done a fantastic job for Liverpool, as a local lad as well. To step into that role that he has actually played — yes, he’s a right back, so we talk about his defensive role, but I don’t think we talk enough about his offensive roles and what he brings in that sense.

Trent Alexander Arnold

I think when you look at that, is there a better right back in that sense? Probably not. We like to look at the defensive roles, and we like to look at whether he can actually get the better of the winger, whether he can stop the winger from getting across, when really and truly we should be looking at the attacking and the offensive side of it.

As a forward, I would love to have been playing with him crossing balls in, because I just know that I'd be getting three, four, five chances. All I’d have to do is make a run. He’s similar to Becks (David Beckham). When you're looking at David Beckham and he had Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, they just made runs because they knew it was coming in. I think that's the key thing with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

You can't begrudge him wanting to take that opportunity of going to the likes of Real Madrid to apply his trade and to enhance his career.

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Q: Darwin Nunez has been strongly linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer – why do you think it hasn’t worked out for him at Liverpool? And where should he go to reignite his career?

The thing is, Liverpool fans will always back you and always give you the opportunity, they have done until this day. Darwin Nunez is a fantastic workhorse and with his work ethic, you see what you get from him and it’s fantastic, but the reality is there are goals that need to be scored.

Darwin Nunez

We've been spoiled over the years with Roberto Firmino, with Mo Salah (who's still spoiling us) and Sadio Mane, but when you look at the rest of them, when you're taking out Mo Salah, where are Liverpool getting their goals from? That's one of the major doubts that a lot of fans and media have with him. Can he be that goal scorer that's going to get you a minimum of 15 goals? That's probably needed because if Mo Salah's not getting you the 35-plus, who else is going to be chipping in?

I think at one stage, between Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, they had four goals. Not everything can be put onto Mo Salah to be getting the goals and be getting the assists and everything. So you're just looking at him, and you can't be good. His work rate is outstanding. He's a defender's nightmare because he just doesn't give them a second to think, which is great.

After all, we've had probably one of the best defensive forwards in Ian Rush. He defended from the front, he didn't give the defenders one second, he chased them down. He made sure they were kicking the ball out. He made sure he was putting a tackle in on them and they understood the assignment that he had. I think Darwin Nunez has got that a little bit about him, but again, you want the goals alongside that because you've got to be chipping in when you’re trying to win the league again — you need that.

Q: Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak have both been mentioned as potential replacements – is there one of the two you’d prefer?

I'd have to say Alexander Isak, but I'm not sure he'd be available. He’s proven in the Premier League and proven to be playing in different roles as well. You don't just see him as an out and out forward who just stays in — I would say he’s Haaland-esque and just stays between the goalposts and waits for opportunities. He creates opportunity, he creates havoc.

He runs with the ball, he takes defenders on, he takes defenders into areas that they don't necessarily want to go into and that's one of the toughest things for defenders, when a forward starts drawing you out of where you are comfortable and drawing you into uncomfortable territories — he does that. When you look at the different types of goals he’s scored, he’s scored tap-ins, screamers, headers and volleys. So someone like that would be ideal, but again, the key thing is availability, and I'm not sure he would be available.

Q: Luis Diaz has also been strongly linked with Barcelona – would it be a mistake to let a player of his calibre go?

That's another interesting one, because the business of football is coming into it. He’s 29, nearly 30. If they could get a decent amount of money and get someone younger who can replace him, they should do that. But I do like Luis Diaz. The reason I like Luis Diaz is because he gives you so many different options. He’s not just a winger — you can play him in the nine and give you something over the top.

Far too many times now we've got forwards who've just come to feet, who want the ball to feet, and it looks very predictable for defenders. But Luis Diaz runs in behind because he's a winger, he sees space, and he runs in behind and causes all sorts of problems. But that's horses for courses, isn't it? There’s certain games that you actually need to be playing like that. His goal tally has probably got to be upped as well, but I would probably stick with him. If there was a big enough offer elsewhere, you've got to really look at that, haven't you?

Q: Anthony Gordon has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool from Newcastle. How do you think that would go down with fans of both Liverpool and Everton?

I played with Nick Barmby, so I've seen firsthand how it goes, but he's had a team in between, so it shouldn't be too bad. I do like him. He's a very direct player. There aren't many wingers who like to take defenders on the outside and whip balls in and then give you the option of taking defenders on the inside and getting shots off — and he's one of them.

He’s a very exciting young player, and I think he would suit Liverpool. But again, you're looking at Luis Diaz, who's probably similar — would you then look at possibly cashing in on Luis Diaz and taking that option up?

Q: Florian Wirtz looks set to join Liverpool for over £100m. Is he worth that money and do Liverpool need him?

I think Liverpool do need him. I think Liverpool has missed that style of player. They've missed that sort of player like Philippe Coutinho, who can play in the 10 as a proper out-and-out number 10, who causes havoc, who understands the positioning and how to get in those spaces.

Is he worth that fee? He's worth the fee that anyone's willing to pay, whether that's £80 million, £100 million or £150 million. The reality is we can't really look at fees anymore because they've gone so crazy that we don't know what is actually fair market value. I do rate him and I do like him. Having watched little bits of him, he reminds me a little bit of Philippe Coutinho. When it comes to dribbling, creating space, finishing and setting up chances, I like what I see.

Q: Outside of the players that have been linked to Liverpool so far this summer – is there anyone else they should be looking to sign?

I'm happy with what they are doing. Again, there’s one that looks like he's going to Man United, that I was keen on coming to Liverpool because I think he proved that he's a Premier League player and a great player. He's got goals in him, he's got work rate in him as well and he suits the Arne Slot way of playing.

Q: Your thoughts on Leicester City being relegated to the Championship? Can they bounce back?

It was inevitable that it was going to happen again, as they were struggling to spend the money they needed to in order to remain in the Premier League. You've got to spend fairly big to try and stay in the league because the difference now is getting really big. I'll be surprised if the clubs that are going up stay up, to be honest with you, with the money that's being spent and the ability to attract the right players and get the right players in.

It was very tough. Leicester went for a lot of loans last season, some of them didn’t work out, some of them did. Now, it’s time for Leicester to rebuild. We’ve seen it before with Leicester that they’ve had to rebuild and this now is a rebuilding time for Leicester. As long as we don’t get relegated to League One it’s good for me.

It’s about rebuilding for Leicester, especially with the kids that are coming in. You look at Jake Evans, Jeremy Munger and Olabade Aluko. These are young lads, 15, 16, 17 years old. So it's about building on top of that and building the structure that will give them sustainability. Long gone is the time when you can spend big on players coming in — if those players don't work, you've got a long road with them. So we've got some young lads I believe that we can really tap into and build something for the future.

Q: If Leicester part ways with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who would you like to see managing Leicester City next season?

Ruud van Nistelrooy

I think for me it's about getting stability. Whoever they bring in, it's about getting some stability. The reality is we're not going to be bringing in some top-class players, the players that are like your talisman — we're not going to be able to attract that sort of player. So we've got to really start working on some real physicality and making ourselves sustainable again.

We need a manager who understands that side of it. We had Enzo Maresca who was actually fantastic — the way that he played, the way that he thought and everything was great — but we weren’t able to bring in the right players that suited his structure. Now, we've got to rein that really back in and really look for a manager that understands the physicality of what we are right now.

Q: Wilfred Ndidi has a £9million relegation release clause – how important is it that he stays for their promotion hopes next season?

The reality is, I think everyone's got a price and that price has been set. There are more midfielders who can come in and do a similar sort of job. He's established, so you can't say he can do the same job, but we can do a similar sort of job as to what he's doing.

We've got some very, very talented young lads. I know one that went out, Will Alves — he's a little bit different. He's more of a 10 or an eight, that is very skilful and very technical. Players like that, we've got to give them the opportunity. So we have some young lads that can step in. So, if the right price comes, I think as a business, Leicester will probably look at it.

Q: What are you expecting from Birmingham City in the Championship next season?

The reality is, I'm expecting another amount to get a promotion, to be honest with you. They've got big ambitions. They've got huge ambitions and a huge backing. We've seen it where they've spent big and they've been bold in everything that they've done.

So it would be interesting to see actually. My thought process for them is another promotion. It's going to be very, very tough for them, though. It's going to be very tough, but they're very ambitious as a club.

Q: What have you made of Birmingham City under new ownership and a new regime?

It's exciting. It's exciting because they've put their money where their mouth is. The stadium wasn't fit for purpose, so they fixed that. The squad wasn't doing so well, so they've spent the money on the squad. In League One, they've spent a lot of money on a centre forward. I think they've put their money where their mouth is.

Now they're talking about a new stadium, not only for the men, but for the women as well. Obviously I worked within the women's game with Leicester, and it's great to see clubs backing their women's side and really putting some money into that. It's great to see Birmingham actually back in their men's team and their women's team for promotion.

Q: What should be the target for Aston Villa next season?

Villa Park stadium

Their target should be, again, looking at breaking into that top four. I played on the Villa team that’s main aim was to try and be in that top four and get Champions League football — and it’s not easy. It's especially even harder now because you've got to match the PSR as well, which is crazy because Villa might need to sell some players to really get under that level. But really, they need to kick on. It was a fantastic campaign for them and you've got to take your hat off to Unai Emery.

Villa is turning out to be everyone's second team. Everyone's looking at them as the one. It’s the way that they play, the intensity that they play at, the style of play that they play at. The manager's really done well to bring that club to the forefront of where they should be, if I'm honest.

Q: Should Villa try and sign Marcus Rashford permanently?

It would be great to say yes, but the reality is with the money that they're going to have to spend to keep him, would it be better spent somewhere else? Marcus Rashford is a fantastic international player, a great player, but you're going to have to really break the bank to afford him. Like I said, they're struggling with the PSR as it stands anyway, so they just wouldn't be able to do it. Unless they could possibly structure a deal that takes him on loan again, I would definitely do that.

Q: Jadon Sancho has been linked with Villa after his loan spell at Chelsea ended – would he be a good signing?

Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho is an interesting one because Jadon Sancho is a fantastic player and he's shown that time and time again. He's gone back to Dortmund and then got to a Champions League final. He's gone to Chelsea and he's got to the Europa Conference League. He’s done really well at Chelsea and done really well on loan to both of the clubs that he's been at.

So it's been interesting to understand why it's not happened for him at Man United and why, with the right structure and the right love, it's happening for him at the other clubs. Marcus has shown that at Villa — going to Villa with the right manager, Unai Emery has done wonders for a lot of players. So he'll be looking at that as well because he'll want to get back onto the international scene. He's not done with international football, so he'll be looking at the international scene and saying, how do I get back onto there? Playing for a manager like that would definitely enhance that!

Q: Should Villa try and sign Marco Asensio permanently?

They should definitely try and sign him permanently. He's had a fantastic season again. To get him anyway was great and then with the season that he had — he would be someone that we'd be looking into. Again, it'll have to match up with the PSR, wouldn't it? Everything for Villa right now is the PSR. Can they match up with that? It's fascinating because all the clubs were talking about how they have owners who can spend the money, but they just can't spend the money.

Q: Emi Martinez has been linked with a £30 million move the other way to Manchester United – would that be a big blow for Villa?

Huge, huge blow. He’s been a mainstay and an outstanding servant for Villa. I think there were some pundits that said, I think Jamie Carragher was one of them, he’s a great goalkeeper. It could be as much as 10 points. He's probably been more than that. You know, he's been fantastic. An interesting character, which most goalkeepers are, but yeah, flamboyant and someone who's demanding and commanding in his area. You need that. You need that within a goalkeeper. Someone who's commanding in that area — and he definitely is that.

Q: Would you back a sensational return to Villa Park for Jack Grealish?

Jack Grealish

Going back to an old club is always an interesting one, isn't it? There's not many players that have gone back to a club and really lived up to expectations. I know Thierry Henry had a short stint back and that went well, but you're not the same player and Jack Grealish isn't the same player because he's played in a different formation, a different role, a different strategy than what it was when he was at Villa.

Villa are not the same side or the same structure as when he left as well. So it'd be an interesting one — if he ever did go back, where would he fit within that? Where would he play? Because again, we look at Pep Guardiola’s way of playing and it's very structural. You've got to stay in your areas. However, Unai Emery is pretty similar — you've got to work his work rate and you've got to stay in the structure that he's put out.

I wouldn't call for him to go back there because there'll be certain expectations from Villa fans that the Jack that left is the Jack that was coming back, but it's not the case.

Q: Ollie Watkins continues to be linked with Arsenal – should Villa cash in on him this summer?

No, I think he's still got a massive role to play at Villa. He's integral to the way that they actually play and when they've been doing well, he's been integral to that. Running in behind, very aggressive and he's a great finisher. So I don't see why you'd want to sell someone like that. Unless your strategy is to generate money for something big.

Q: What are your standout memories from the Martin O’Neill Leicester era?

I have so many. It's an interesting era because when you think about Leicester at the time, we were a yo-yo club — we were going up and then coming back down. In my first season, I was 17 and we got relegated, but then we went back up the following season. When you think about it, the teams coming up are more than likely going back down, but we managed to stay up and win a cup and stay top half of the table. So that was a pivotal moment. We then went to two more cup finals after that, which was exceptional with the group of players that we had.

Martin O'Neill

Q: Could you sense back then that Leicester had the DNA of a future Premier League-winning club?

I can't say that I did, to be honest with you. I'd be lying if I said, ‘yeah, we're going to win this in 20 years’ time’. I think the pinnacle for us was trying to get into the cup finals and trying to win cups. To be the standout for the duration of a season is very tough. I went to arguably the biggest club in the world in Liverpool, and we weren’t able to do that at that time. So, for Leicester to be the most consistent team of that season is phenomenal. You have to take your hat off to them.

I think it was the team morale, team togetherness and then that added sprinkle of excellence with Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kante. So I think the togetherness that they had and the stuff that they brought to the group was fundamental in them doing that.

Q: What was it like playing in that iconic early 2000s Liverpool side under Gérard Houllier?

The thing is, I'd come from a team that had won stuff (Leicester). Yes, it was the League Cup, but we’d won stuff. We’d won in 1997, we lost in 1999 and then went to 2000 and won that. I’d come from a place of winning stuff, and so my next step when I was looking to move to Liverpool was, can I go and win the league?

I was joining a lot of the players that I was playing with at England, so you kind of know the levels you're at. It was great to go and win a treble in my first season at Liverpool. At that time, you played a lot of games, and you've got to remember a lot of the games were going to replays, and you're playing two legs as well. So it was a great time for Liverpool and it was a great time for myself to be involved in that. Understanding the pressures of going from a team that fundamentally your main aim is to try and stay up and possibly win a cup, to then go into a team where you've got to be challenging for the title. The pressures that come with that and winning trophies is great.

Q: Do you feel you were underappreciated at Liverpool because you weren’t the flashiest forward?

I wasn't underappreciated because the fans really took to me when I was there. I was lucky enough to play alongside Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and players like that. When you look at Michael, he's a phenomenal player, probably the best of a generation. To play alongside them, win the trophies and be a major part of winning the trophies as well — I don't think I was underappreciated. The fans loved it, and I loved my time there, to be honest.

Q: How did your role evolve as you moved to Villa and Birmingham later in your career?

I think your role evolves because of where you are in your career and age. Alongside that, the way the team wants you to play as well has a huge impact. When I was at Leicester, I was a runner with the ball, and everything was about running with the ball. Then, when I moved to Liverpool, you have a lot of possession and teams are sitting in a block — really you don't have much space to play within, so you've got to figure that bit out.

Then you go into my Birmingham, Wigan and Villa eras where, when it comes to body-wise, I’m not the same player and I’m having to adapt to a different playing style. It's great to be able to do that because not many players can actually adapt. They want the team to adapt to them rather than adapting to what is needed within that team.

Q: Your sons Reigan and Jaden are both impressing in Man City’s academy. How far do you think they can go in their career – and do you hope they can eclipse your achievements?

Yeah, super proud again. This isn't something that's just happened. They joined Man City's Academy, you're talking 15 years ago, before it was at the City Academy — it was at Platt Lane and that's when they were going, and they've worked hard to get to where they are.

Fundamentally, they've put all the hard graft in and this is the rewards they're reaping, which is great. It's been a great journey for me to actually see them progress to where they are. Yes, they will have a career. Where that career takes them, we don't know. We just pray that they have a great career and they enjoy it — and that's the main thing for me.

I've always said to my sons, ‘When you're playing, just go and try and enjoy it’. It's not for me to tell them, ‘Go and do this, go and do that’. No, go and enjoy it — because the reality is, when you get to the senior level and you get to the professional level, it becomes very serious.

Q: You made so many strikers look better – from Owen to Rooney. What’s the key to being a great partner up top?

Well, the key to a great partnership is having harmony and understanding. I played with Michael Owen from the age of 18. So he was 16 at the time — we played in the Euros together and straight off the bat, we understood each other's strengths and we understood what each other's weaknesses were, and we figured out how to work together.

It's a partnership, so you want it to work. We worked on those sorts of things and I was happy with being a partner to someone in the sense of, I'm good at this, this and this — and I'm going to do that, and then I'm going to lay you on for this. We’re going to work together to do this.

We moved away from that a little bit when it comes to football in general with partnerships because we’ve gone to everyone playing one up front. So we've moved away from partnerships a little bit. It’s quite self-centred, even though forwards are self-centred anyway. It’s interesting to see now when those teams are trying to go back to partnerships — but they’re fundamentally not understanding, because within the youth setup now, they only play with one up front.

I always understood when Michael's making a run somewhere, I've got to make a run, or make the opposite run, or draw players out of an area that Michael wants to work within. So you're always thinking about each other — whereas now it's about you thinking about yourself all the time.

Q: If you could have played with any current striker, who would you want alongside you?

I would probably say Alexander Isak. I think he would complement my roles as well — the roles that I'm good at. He's plenty of running behind as well. He's very good at getting the ball into feet but he wants a link as well. So I think Alexander Isak would work well with me.

Q: How much would a prime Emile Heskey cost in today’s game?

Oh wow. Well, I went for £11 million back in 2000, so God knows. I'd be up there. With inflation, currency exchange and Bitcoin, I'd probably say over £100M.

Q: Which rivalry did you feel most personally — Liverpool v Everton or Villa v Birmingham?

Probably Liverpool v Everton, to be honest with you. Growing up a Liverpool fan, you kind of have to have that rivalry in that sense. The reality is, I didn't realise Birmingham v Villa — even though I'm from the Midlands — was so fierce, but the one that I felt more was Liverpool v Everton.

It's interesting because just before I went to Liverpool I played against Everton for Leicester and yeah, it was a tough game. When you actually play in the Merseyside Derby, you realise, yeah, that's a different level of intensity, of hatred, fierceness. Yeah, it was a bit crazy.

Q: Who in today’s game reminds you of your own playing style?

I don't think there is anyone today that reminds me of myself, because the game has changed. If anything, towards the end of my career it would be Chris Wood who is more of a target man. One thing you've got to remember, I played left wing, I played right wing, I played centre forward, I played number 10 — so I was actually a bit of a hybrid.

I could run with the ball. I used to take the ball and turn and run, but the reality is if you go back to the early 90s to mid 2000s, every forward did that. Every forward would take the ball, turn, try and take players on, link, win flick-ons, try and win the ball after the flick-on. I could play left wing and take players on and cross the ball. I could play right wing. I could play number 10. So yeah, I'm not sure — probably Chris Wood, as in towards the latter stages of my career, because I was more of a hold-up player, but when I was younger, I'm not sure there were many, if I'm honest.

Q: Rivaldo once said that you were the one Englishman who could play in the 2002 Brazil World Cup team. What do you make of those comments?

Rivaldo

I'm flattered and grateful that he’s someone who was appreciating, because I played against them for Liverpool against Barcelona, so I played a few games against them by that time. I’m just flattered that someone saw, especially someone of that ilk and such a legend saw what I was bringing.

Don't get me wrong, I think everyone saw what I was bringing, but it's great to see someone acknowledge that. I still see him on the Legends tours, and he's still got a little bit in him, so it's great to see someone acknowledge that.

Q: Do you think today’s players are too soft?

Well, you say too soft. I don't think too soft. I just think the football that they're playing is indicative of the way they are. If you can't go near a player, then they understand that. We were forever being kicked all over the place, which you just understood. You got up and you got on with it. You understood the assignment.

Now you can't get near a player. You go anywhere near a player, and it's more or less a foul. So I don't think they're soft, because again, if you put them in our environment, I'm guessing they would adapt and thrive. So at the minute, you can't go near anyone, you can't tackle anyone — everything's a foul. So they're just playing the game that they've been dealt.

Q: Who’s the best striker in the world right now?

Alexander Isak. I personally like Alexander Isak — just the way that he plays.

Q: One defender you never wanted to face again?

Walter Samuel, the Argentine defender. He’s tough, very aggressive, quick, strong and everything that I was as well. Used to come off very sore after playing him.

Q: Most underrated player you played with?

Probably Didi Hamann, to be honest with you. Again, I think he was a fantastic player playing for Liverpool and one that went under the radar, but he was very pivotal to not only just the midfield but us as players — because he'd lift us up. Everything that we did, if it was good, bad or indifferent, he would give us that little pep talk and say, ‘yeah, well done, well done’.

Sometimes that’s what you need as a player because you might be thinking that you're having a good game or bad game and things are going wrong, but he'd always try and gear you up and try and get the best out of you. So I would say Didi Hamann.

Q: One midfielder you wish you'd played with?

Ricardo Kaká is just an outstanding player — a dribbler, a fantastic goalscorer and a great man in himself. I don't think we played against each other, to be honest. He was on the bench in the 2002 World Cup, which is an interesting one. We had Michael Owen as our Ballon d'Or winner. They had Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho as their Ballon d'Or winners up front, plus Ricardo Kaká on the bench as another Ballon d'Or winner.

So yes, Kaká would have been great to play alongside because again, you could just make runs and he'll find you. You look at some of the passes that he did, especially in that game as well in the 2005 Champions League final — some of the passes, some of the dribbles were outstanding.

Q: Who was the hardest teammate you ever had?

Probably Steven Gerrard or Neil Lennon. Neil Lennon was very tough. He was not only tough physically, but he'd give it to us as well. So I think Neil Lennon was one that goes under the radar sometimes. I think Steven Gerrard was probably one of the toughest that I'd played alongside.

Q: Who was the biggest joker in a dressing room you were in?

Probably between Jamie Carragher and Robbie Savage. Robbie Savage never stopped. Robbie Savage is a bit of a pest, to be honest with you. He never stopped. Always, always joking. Which is good fun to have in a changing room as well — because it mixes it up. It's not always serious.

Q: Who was the most stylish teammate you ever had — and who had the worst fashion sense?

I'm going to give them both to Robbie Savage because he liked it. He liked to think he had the best fashion, but sometimes — Jesus. Some of his stuff is OK, but then he just sails off to this magical world and he's just in his own world and you're looking and thinking, what are you doing? What are you wearing?

Q: If you could only work with one manager again, who would it be and why?

You're killing me here. I always say two managers: Martin O'Neill and Gérard Houllier. I'll probably say Gérard Houllier in a sense because when I worked with Martin he was fantastic at team morale and fantastic at building up you as well as a player. So he'd just tell you, go and do what you're good at.

I remember one time I got the ball and I was good at running with the ball. So he used to say, ‘just get the ball, turn and run with it, just cause havoc’. So I used to just get the ball, turn, run past players and I was quick, I was strong. I remember one time I got the ball, laid it off to Robbie Savage, he gave the ball away and the manager started having a go at me. I was thinking, ‘why is he having a go at me?’

Then he goes, ‘Why are you giving it to him? Can he turn and run with the ball? Can he do this? Can he do that?’ So I thought — he’s right. Whereas, with Gérard Houllier, you learn a lot from him. There’s a lot of data and a lot of studying, and you just learn so much. We used to have 45-minute meetings learning about football and the opposition. So, Gérard Houllier in that sense.

Q: What’s your favourite shirt you ever wore?

I would say the number eight shirt for Liverpool in the first full season of the treble-winning season. I think that was iconic to go alongside the celebration.