Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League over an 18-year career, and represented England in international football. He also had a spell in Australia, playing for the A-League club Newcastle Jets.

Heskey was a keen footballer in his childhood and played for Ratby Groby Juniors, a local youth team in Leicester. He stood out amongst his peers and at the age of nine accepted a place at Leicester City's football academy. Progressing through their youth system, he made his first-team debut at the age of 17 while still a first-year trainee in an Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers on 8 March 1995. Leicester were relegated to the First Division following the end of the 1994–95 season and he signed his first professional contract with the club on 3 October 1995. He became a first-team regular in 1995–96, making 30 league appearances. During this season, Heskey scored his first goal, which came in a 1–0 victory over Norwich City, in a season he managed to score seven goals. He helped Leicester earn promotion back to the Premier League, starting in the 1996 First Division play-off Final on 27 May as they beat Crystal Palace 2–1.

During 1996–97, his first in the Premier League, Heskey scored 10 goals in 35 appearances, and scored the equaliser in the 1997 League Cup Final against Middlesbrough, which Leicester won in a replay. Heskey was runner-up to David Beckham for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. The following season, 1997–98, saw interest from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur for Heskey, as he again scored 10 Premier League goals, making him Leicester's top scorer that season. However, 1998–99 saw Heskey score only six top-flight goals, and he was criticised for not scoring enough goals and going to ground too easily. During this season however, he forged an effective strike partnership with Tony Cottee, who benefited from Heskey's unselfish style of play, which manager Martin O'Neill claimed kept the club in the Premier League. Heskey started for Leicester in the 1999 League Cup Final on 21 March, in which they were beaten 1–0 by Tottenham Hotspur. He went on to win the League Cup again with a 2–1 win against Tranmere Rovers in the 2000 final on 27 February.

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