England striker Emil Heskey today announced his retirement from international football. Good riddance, some will say – he only managed seven goals in 62 internationals. But ask Wayne Rooney – and Michael Owen before him – what they think of Heskey and they both give him a massive thumbs up. He was great at holding up the ball, linking play and bringing more natural goalscorers into the game. Ask anyone in football, and they will also tell you he is the perfect gentleman. Ask Leicester City fans what they think of Heskey – he put £500,000 of his own money into a consortium that a few years ago saved his home town club from extinction. Ask the fans of any of his former clubs about his unfailing politeness and eagerness to give of his time and energies. And for those who are not Emil Heskey fans, just for the record….he’s scored well over 100 league goals, won an FA Cup winners medal, two League Cup winners medal, a UEFA Cup winners medal and a UEFA Super Cup winners medal.

Enough England managers have rated Heskey to play him at two World Cups and two European Championships. And amazingly, he’s played for England over three decades, having made his debut against Hungary in April, 1999. If I was a pro footballer, I wouldn’t mind all those stats on my career record.

In announcing his retirement from international football, Heskey may well have jumped before he was pushed. But let’s not forget the quiet, unsung contributions that he made along the way in an England shirt. A gentleman of some dignity, and let’s face it, there aren’t too many of them currently in or around the England squad.

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