Leicester City’s new training ground will help them sign a capable replacement for Jamie Vardy, former striker Emile Heskey believes.
City are due to move into their £100m facility at Seagrave this summer and homegrown hero Heskey believes the state-of-the-art complex will ensure the club attracts a higher level of player.
That will be important, with Heskey saying City will have to look beyond their star forward soon.
Thirty-three-year-old Vardy is defying his age and is on course to finish as the top flight’s oldest leading goalscorer in more than 70 years, but he cannot go on forever. He has two years remaining on his contract, and lining up his successor will be factored into the club’s plans, Heskey believes.
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Discussing City’s successful season, Heskey told talkSPORT: “It’s testament to the owners. It’s testament to Brendan [Rodgers] of what he’s creating there, he’s trying to create a culture, where players come and work hard, be disciplined and work as a group. He’s making individual players better.
“I know there were question marks over Vardy and whether he could adapt to the way Brendan wanted him to work but he has adapted very well and he’s flying. He’s one of their main players again. But he’s at an age where they will have to look at replacing him at some stage. He’s done fantastic.
“They’re moving into a new facility, they’ve got a new training ground that they’re moving into and that in itself will attract better players. It’s onwards and upwards for Leicester.”
Heskey, now 42, said recently that he hoped to rejoin the club as an intern with the women’s team, taking on a behind-the-scenes role.
Certainly, finding a position within the game is his hope.
He said: “It’s something I‘ve been doing since the age of nine when I joined Leicester. I finished playing at 38. This is what I know and what I love so there will definitely be a chance of getting back into it hopefully somewhere.
“I’m doing a Uefa course at the minute, it's called the MIP (Master for International Players), which will allow me to understand the different parts of the admin of football, so I’m looking at that as well.”
