Emile Heskey has joined a security company as director (Image: Getty)
Emile Heskey has been appointed as a director at a security firm in a surprise move. The new job comes as a result of a life-long friendship with Octavian Security founder Sukhi Ghuman.
Heskey will combine his role as head of football development at Women with his work at Octavian. The 47-year-old former striker has made the move to encourage more ex-professional footballers to enter the business world.
“The company is a real route for progression for me,” Heskey said in a statement. “I first met Sukhi at school and we’ve really worked on this relationship for the last 15 years.
“It’s my mission to encourage more athletes into the business world to not only learn, but also share their winning mindset and help businesses grow.”
Octavian work with blue-chip and public-sector organisations to manage risk, provide manpower resources and protect their operations and interests.
Ghuman said of Heskey’s appointment: “This is a move that has been long in the making.
“Emile understands from his days at the top of football that you need inner strength and determination to succeed. I can’t wait to watch him make a huge impact on Octavian.”
Heskey enjoyed a successful career spanning more than two decades. He won 62 caps for England across 11 years, scoring seven goals. One of those strikes came in the famous 5-1 win over Germany in 2001.
He started his club career with Leicester, making his debut aged 17. Heskey moved to in 2001 and won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup – now the Europa League – with the Reds.
spells with Birmingham, Wigan and Aston Villa followed. He moved to Australia to play for Jets in 2012 before returning to England two years later to play for Bolton. Heskey retired in 2016.
Emile Heskey scored in England’s famous 5-1 win over Germany (Image: Getty)
Since hanging up his boots, Heskey has completed a UEFA management course which earned him work with Leicester City Women. He is now the club’s head of football development and had a brief spell as caretaker manager in 2021.
His two sons, Jaden and Reigan are highly-rated members of ’s academy. Midfielder Jaden, 19, and winger Reigan, 17, have both made appearances for the club’s Under-21 team this season.
Guardiola said of the older Heskey son in pre-season: “Jaden has shown immense potential and versatility, capable of playing both as a number 10 and as a striker. His progression is something we are keenly monitoring.”