The former Foxes striker wants to reconnect the fans with the club
06:00, 17 Feb 2026
Emile Heskey says Leicester City need to connect with their fans again
Leicester City legend Emile Heskey has offered his time to the club to help them out of their current struggles for free – but received no response from officials.
The former striker, from Highfields, made his City debut in 1995 before playing for Liverpool and Aston Villa. He also made 62 appearances for England’s national team.
Heskey, now 48, said: “Seeing what Leicester is going through, I wanted to show that I’m there to give a helping hand.
“I’m a busy man, but when it comes to my hometown and my club, I wanted to give my time for free, but they have not acknowledged it.
“No outreach has been made, they’ve got my number and know who I am, but I’ve had nothing back, and I think that is because the club has issues in the way that they want to go forward.”
When asked how it felt not to receive a response from his hometown club, Emile said: “It did not feel great because of what I believe I represent for the club, but I don’t know what their plans are, so I cannot determine why they didn’t get back to me or if it is on their radar.”
Heskey scored 46 goals in his 196 appearances for Leicester City.
Thinking back to the older days, he said: “The late owner Vichai had done an absolutely fantastic job of getting us to where we were, and we need to work to get back there.
“I feel that there is a disconnect these days between the club and the fans, and we need everyone to come back together.
“We were very connected with the fans, I mean, we used to go out with them, but it’s totally different times now.
“Back in the day, it felt like the club was more connected with the city of Leicester, and that isn’t to say that the club doesn’t do amazing events for the city, because they do, but there still seems to be a disconnect there.
“We used to fill the previous stadium, and the feeling in it was immaculate. We now have a better stadium, and we’ve even achieved more in this stadium than the previous one, but you can tell there is a disconnect there.”
Speaking about the part he would like to play in the club going forward, Emile said he could help build “the bridge between the fans and the club”.
He said: “We’re seeing a lot of people leave the club as they’re going down a new junction, and I hope I can be part of that.
“I’m not here for the pay, I’m fine with that, I just want the right things to be done at the club, and I want the fans to find their love for Leicester again.
“I love the club, and I will always love this club.”
Leicester City were recently deducted six points after being found to have breached the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules for the 2023/24 season. The club now sits third from bottom of the Championship table, two points from safety.
Speaking of the club’s current problems and league position, Emile said: “We’ve been deducted points, and we’re not where we want to be, but we will come back; we just need to stick together.
“It’s a battle that we’ve all got to be up for, and unfortunately, no matter how you play the game these days, it’s getting the win that matters.
“We’re a city of fighters, so we need to see that represented on the pitch.”
The former striker went on to say that the next step for Leicester City should be building a foundation for the future because another points deduction could be ahead.
He said: “The reality is this is not rock bottom. We might fall a bit further down, and I might be wrong, but there might be some more points deducted coming our way.
“I say don’t worry because we are going to be great again. I know we will.”
In response to the ex-striker’s comments, a Leicester City Spokesperson said: “Emile is highly respected by everyone at Leicester City and rightly regarded as one of the most important figures in our history for his contributions, both on and off the pitch.
“We were pleased to welcome him to Seagrave last week to see a demonstration of a business project with which he is involved and our dialogue with him remains open and direct.”