Saka England’s Best Player

Heskey was quick to praise Bakayo Saka after the England winger’s brace which helped England to a 6-2 win vs Iran.

Heskey told Safe Betting Sites: “It was great to see but we don’t want to get carried away because clearly Iran are nowhere near the toughest team England will face in this tournament. It’s great to see Saka, Rashford and Bellingham scoring goals and getting plaudits now rather than the racist abuse they suffered just over a year ago after the Euros. Saka in particular put in a great performance and was arguably man of the match. You can draw a comparison to a ‘regular’ summer World Cup where players would have four weeks off after the end of the season ahead of the tournament. But Saka has come from Arsenal, where he and the club have been in fantastic form, to going straight into this game against Iran. So he hasn’t had any time off for his form to dip and I think the timing of the World Cup has worked out well for him in particular.

“It fascinates me how someone so young can take so much responsibility on their shoulders. It’s not easy. I moved from big clubs to smaller clubs and everyone was looking to me to take that mantle and that’s not easy either. But Saka’s doing it week in, week out at a big club like Arsenal at the age of 21 and that shows where he is mentally. And when you’re in a good place mentally, nothing is impossible. So he’s showing that he’s happy to take the weight on his shoulders. He’s only 21 and there will be times where has to cope with a dip in form. But we need to just bare with him because he will bounce back. Because with playing that many games you can burn yourself out.

“It’s key that he’s being played in his best position now. Players don’t usually say anything when they’re being out of position, even if it’s to their own detriment they’ll just do what the manager tells them. But if you play them in their right position you’ll get the best out of them like Southgate is with Saka now.”

“Bukayo Saka is England’s MVP. Young players like him don’t overthink things. He isn’t affected by the external noise. He’s just playing on instinct and letting his talent do the talking. It’s great to see and he’s showing what a special player he is.”

Kane Should Not Worry About Not Scoring

Harry Kane was not on the scoresheet but Heskey has insisted he should be focused on doing best for the team.

Heskey said: “I wouldn’t be too concerned because Harry Kane can turn it around and score goals at any time. Goalscorers are a bit selfish by their own nature but when you’re the captain as well, like he is, you also have to focus on getting the best out of your teammates. Perhaps his failure to score against Iran is something that can be partly attributed to that. But with Kane you know at any time he’s capable of going on a run and popping up with three or four goals in this tournament.

“Southgate won’t be too worried because he’ll look at Jack Grealish coming off the bench and scoring and Marcus Rashford too. It’s fantastic for Marcus. He’s in unbelievable form at the moment. He’s firing on all cylinders and that’s down to his confidence and club form for Manchester United too.”

Jude Bellingham Must Keep Starting, Liverpool Should Sign Him

Jude Bellingham played a key role and Heskey thinks Southgate must keep starting him. The former Liverpool striker also urged his former club to sign Bellingham.

Heskey: “Jude’s a guaranteed starter for me after how he played against Iran. His energy, his ability on the ball and his calmness, not to mention his threat going forward because he is a big lad for a 19-year-old. His maturity is phenomenal considering his age and it’s fantastic to see him playing the way he is. I can’t see anyone taking him out of the team at this moment in time. Would I start Kalvin Philips? No. I’d keep things how they are. Once the second goal went in against Iran I said ‘This is going to be six’. I didn’t see them scoring but in fairness their first goal was a really good goal.

“I think Liverpool could do with freshening up the midfield with a bit more energy. Jude Bellingham is 100% the first choice in my eyes. He can play in every single position in midfield. So someone like that would be ideal because that energy he would bring is exactly what Liverpool have been missing at times this season. That’s what we actually need. Don’t get me wrong, Harvey Elliott has done really well and Henderson is a great captain and great leader but he’s getting to the latter stage of his career now. He’s not got the legs he used to have when he was 22 or 23 so he probably is someone that Klopp might be looking to phase out in the next couple of years.”

Phil Foden Must Wait For His Chance

Phil Foden came off the bench in the first game and Heskey believes he will be the perfect impact player.

Heskey said: “Where would you put him? That would be my issue with Phil Foden at this moment. He wouldn’t take Saka’s place. Would he take Mount’s? I’d say that’s more plausible but I don’t see why you’d change a winning formula right now. It’s a nice problem for Southgate to have. The further England go in the tournament, the more important it will be to have fresh legs available. Foden is as good as any of them on the pitch and it’s great to have him waiting in the wings because he’ll be champing at the bit to get out there.”

Maddison Will Be Impact Player From The Bench

Heskey believes Maddison will get his chance for England despite missing the first game through injury.

Heskey said: “I don’t think it will take an injury for Maddison to get his chance. I don’t see Maddison as a starter but as an impact player off the bench? Yes 100%. I’m not sure which specific position but he could play either in a wide role or more centrally in a number 10 role where Mason Mount is. The good thing is that there’s a great level of positional flexibility among this England team and squad as a whole.”

Southgate Should Keep Same XI vs USA

Heskey believes England showed they have great character to win their World Cup opener after a poor run of results.

He said: “When you’re losing it takes great characters to pull you out of that and England have got those in abundance. Their confidence seems to be sky high again now. Even Harry Maguire should be feeling better about his form after that game, despite conceding a couple of goals. I think attack might be the best form of defence for England at this World Cup because if you attack them high and rush their best defender then the opposition can’t settle. We’ve got so many dynamic players that can do that and this system seems to be getting the best out of them now.”

“It’s early days but I think after the USA game we’ll have a clearer picture. No disrespect to Iran but they weren’t a match for England. I caught the USA vs Wales game and I said at half time Wales will score at some point, which they did. USA look good though, fast on the break and very athletic. It will be interesting but I still feel we will beat them and then I believe we can target the semi-finals. If we win the group we could play France, depending on how other results go. But they’re lost a lot of players through injury so that might not be such a bad draw. Benzema is a big miss for them. “

Qatar Stance On ‘One Love’ Armband ‘Far From Ideal’

Heskey has spoken out about the fact Qatar has banned Harry Kane from wearing the ‘One Love’ captain’s armband.

Heskey: “I think that’s it now. We all stand by our beliefs but if it’s going to be to the detriment of the team then it’s difficult. It shouldn’t be but they [Qatar] have taken that stance and you’re playing in their World Cup. If the rules say that and you choose to break them and face the consequences then fair play but it’s far from ideal.”

Liverpool Will Bounce Back

Heskey has said former club Liverpool can overcome their poor start to the Premier League season.

Heskey: “Yeah I’d agree to an extent although their form had improved in the past month or so. But it will be a good chance for them to get some players back fit again. Beating Napoli helped restore a lot of confidence because they hadn’t lost in a long time before that and were sitting top of Serie A. Jurgen Klopp will take these few weeks to regroup and come again and try and push for top six or four because as unlikely as it may look right now, anything is possible. Newcastle are flying but their players haven’t been in this situation before so for them to get over the line will take a lot. Liverpool have been there and done it.”

Liverpool Should Consider Victor Osimhen

Heskey has said Liverpool should look at signing Victor Osimhen from Napoli to help boost their attack.

Heskey said: “He would certainly give them something different to what they have now. He’s different to Nunez who can play out wide, Osimhen would be that central goal threat. He’s quick, has an eye for goal and can finish really well with both feet. He’s a top player. I think Napoli paid quite a lot for him so that’s why he’s commanding a £100m transfer fee. I saw him score against Leicester last season in the Europa League and he’s a top striker and would certainly enhance “Liverpool’s options in attack without a doubt. He’s a phenomenal player and I think his pace means he would be very much suited to the Premier League.”

FSG Liverpool Sale Won’t Destablise Club

Heskey believes Liverpool owners FSG won’t hurt the club by trying to sell during the season.

Heseky said: “It did surprise me, yes but we should never be surprised. It shouldn’t destabilise the club, they’re a huge club in the global sense. In terms of investment buying a player like Jude Bellingham is only going to make the club more valuable. So I can’t see them backing down in the transfer market and not looking to spend on players either just because the club is up for sale. There will be plenty of bids for Liverpool, it’s just a matter of finding the right buyers.

Leicester Should Concentrate On Top 10

Heskey has told former club Leicester to concentrate on a top 10 finish after coming back into form after a poor start.

Heseky said: “I think top 10 is the aim for Leicester at the moment. First and foremost they need to convince Youri Tielemans to sign a new contract. He’s an integral part to the way Brendan Rodgers wants his team to play and he’s scored some incredible goals. Defensively they’ve made some gradual improvements and with the goalkeeper Danny Ward he’s stepped up now. They’ve tightened up and are doing a lot better at the back but they still need to find a striker. Jamie Vardy isn’t the threat he once was and Daka and Iheancaho don’t score consistently enough so they need to look to bring someone in up front. Harvey Barnes and Maddison have been the main men so far this year but they can’t be expected to do too much.”