Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey played in a brilliant side, and he and Michael Owen formed quite the formidable strike partnership.
From 2000 to 2004, Heskey was part of a side that won six trophies with the English target man amassing 60 goals in that time. He left aged 26, feeling as though he needed more playing time after Liverpool signed strikers like Djibril Cisse.
His peak at Anfield, though, was impressive. He and Owen were unplayable at times, with the latter famously winning the Ballon d’Or in a 2001 season where Liverpool won a treble and picked up another two trophies later in the calendar year. Heskey sees Owen as his favourite teammate in a long career.
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Emile Heskey explains why he loved playing with Michael Owen at Liverpool
He and Owen were that typical ‘big and small’ front two — far more common in the 2000s than in the modern game. They epitomised the concept.
Heskey has named Owen the best finisher of his generation. He wasn’t too shabby himself. During that historic season, Owen might have been the internationally recognised star, but Heskey scored 22 goals himself.
When asked by Flashscore who he enjoyed playing with the most, he responded: “Probably Michael. Michael Owen. You’ve got to remember I played with Michael. Michael’s two years younger than me, so Michael played with me on my Under-18 side.
Emile Heskey
11 Mar 2000: Emile Heskey shoots on his debut for Liverpool during the FA Carling Premiership match against Sunderland at Anfield in Liverpool, England. The game was drawn 1-1. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill /Allsport
“He was phenomenal. But we just clicked. You know when something just works. And we didn’t need to try. We didn’t need to try hard, we didn’t need to do anything. It just worked and we worked off each other. We were polar opposites, so it just fitted really, really good.”
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Heskey has voiced regret over his decision to leave Liverpool. Though he wasn’t a nailed-on starter, he came up with the goods season after season, winning six trophies in four years at Anfield.
Owen is a recognised great for his accomplishment of winning the Ballon d’Or at 22, but Heskey often gets disrespected. At his best, he was the perfect running mate.
The modern Heskey and Owen
It may not be a perfect comparison given their size, but Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak — who have barely shared the pitch this season — could be in a position to form a similarly devastating partnership.
Liverpool want to build around three players, those two strikers and Florian Wirtz.
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Luis Suarez prior to Nashville SC v Inter Miami CF - 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring for Liverpool during their UEFA Champions League match against Qarabag at Anfield.
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If it’s going to work, the two number nines will need to form an understanding and a way of playing that doesn’t put them under each other’s feet.
A great strike partnership can be unplayable at times. Even more recently, with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, or you could even argue Sadio Mane and Salah. They did it a different way, but were equally lethal.
Isak and Ekitike are exciting players who still have room for development. It’s up to Arne Slot to make that happen.
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