Emile Heskey recently hit out at Steven Gerrard and Rangers by suggesting the former Liverpool captain was gifted the job because of his skin colour.
The former England international striker pointed out that Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell won more honours during their careers than Gerrard.
“I couldn’t tell you why black people had to be bottom-feeders and then others can go wherever and get a job,” Heskey is quoted as saying by the Mirror.
“I can point towards medals. Sol [Campbell] has got more than Stevie. Ashley Cole’s got more than any of them. They are going to get those jobs. I can only point towards skin colours.
“England’s best player for that era. Ash is being given a chance to get on that ladder with Chelsea Under-15s.”
Gerrard was recently made aware of his former team-mate’s comments, and it’s fair to say the Rangers boss didn’t seem to appreciate his words.
“I don’t have anything to say on that. I don’t really look out for any interviews that Emile Heskey does,” he is quoted as saying by the Mirror.
What I think Heskey has failed to mention is that Gerrard spent a couple of years coaching the Unders at Liverpool, like Cole is doing at Chelsea, and perhaps that’s a big contributor of how he’s ended up with a top job in Scotland.
Frank Lampard is a bit more difficult to understand – I can only assume he was given the Derby and Chelsea jobs almost entirely because of who he is.
That being said, it’d be horrific to find out that Heskey’s hunch is actually true and discrimination is present so far up the footballing ladder (and not just idiots, who paid to get into a stadium, shouting abuse from the stands).