Leicester City Women: How Emile Heskey has boosted club on eve of quarter-final
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Former England striker Emile Heskey scored 46 goals in 198 appearances for Leicester
Vitality Women's FA Cup quarter-final: Leicester City v Manchester City |
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Date: Sunday, 27 September Kick-off: 14:00 BST Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Leicester |
Former Leicester City striker Emile Heskey says he did not hesitate to accept a return to the club in a role working with the Foxes' women's side.
The 42-year-old ex-England front man has started an ambassadorial, coaching and mentoring role with the second-tier team, who recently turned professional.
They host holders Manchester City in the rearranged 2019-20 Women's FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday [14:00 BST].
The Foxes are the lowest-ranked team remaining in last season's competition.
Heskey's involvement comes after the Premier League men's club took over the women's team in August and a summer which saw them sign several experienced, highly-rated players, included former Reading midfielder Remi Allen and ex-Everton goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.
"Having grown up in the city and played here from the age of nine, to help others here now feels phenomenal," Heskey told BBC Radio Leicester.
"Susan [Whelan, Leicester's chief executive] got in contact with me and when she asked I said 'yes' straight away before she even finished the sentence.
"The women's game has always been big, it's just that it hasn't had the visibility and the eyes on it that the men's game has."
Keeper Levell says Heskey's appointment was a "great statement" from the club.
"That shows exactly the direction we are going in," she added.
"He's great to have around. He's someone you can go and talk to and he's not just a face, he's a mentor.
"We played an eight-versus-eight game and he was my defender - he hasn't lost it!"
The East Midlands club finished sixth in last season's curtailed Women's Championship campaign, in what is an 11-team league, and this term will hope to compete for promotion as they bid to join the Women's Super League.
But, longer-term, they have even higher ambitions, with manager Jonathan Morgan adding: "We want to be the best club in England. That's the end-goal.
"We want to get to [the level of] Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd - it's going to be a challenging journey."
They will face one of those clubs on Sunday as they host a Manchester City side full of high-profile internationals, including England captain Steph Houghton and World Cup-winning United States midfielders Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis, who signed this summer.
"Morale is high," Foxes shot-stopper Levell said. "It would be good to shine against a brilliant team.
"We're know we're facing a lot of stars at Man City but if we can win as underdogs, all eyes are then on us."
The winner of Sunday's tie will host Arsenal or Tottenham in the semi-finals on Thursday, as the road to 1 November's Wembley final continues.