Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has challenged Emile Heskey to improve his goal ratio for the club.
Villa boss challenges striker to score more goals
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has challenged striker Emile Heskey to improve his goals ratio for the club.
The big England targetman has not scored in his last nine appearances for Villa and has been criticised by some in the past for failing to find the net more often for both club and country.
While O'Neill appreciates the job he does for the team as a whole, he hopes he will find the net on more occasions and become more selfish.
"He'll accept himself he's never been the most prolific of scorers, tending to be able to work with other partners," O'Neill told
Sky Sports News.
Improve
"What he does for us is obviously the most important issue selfishly as far as I'm concerned and I think he can improve his goal ratio, I think he has got the ability to do that.
"Sometimes when you spend quite some time thinking that your job is to lay things off for other people then you get out of the habit of trying to turn yourself and get shots on goal.
"And I think that is something that he wants to work at."
The Villa boss added: "I'm not concerned about rivalry at England level. I'm sure the England manager will be saying the more competition for places, the better it is for him.
"People have said that Emile feels he hasn't settled in completely at Villa yet. That might be a point.
Selfish
"What Emile can offer for us is there for all to see. What I think he can do, and he feels this himself, is score more goals or get more attempts on goal, being a bit selfish.
"I think he has been selfless as a player. He has earned that right to be a bit more selfish and a bit more assertive in front of goal.
"That is something he will want to do more often because it is part of his game that was once there.
"Sometimes you are a provider for other centre-forwards and goal poachers. You can be given that tag and you stop doing the things that have helped you during your career."
