Football FanCast columnist Rob Facey is thrilled to see Emile Heskey back in an England shirt, even at the expense of Michael Owen, and wonders why it has taken so long for managers to realise that the Newcastle striker shouldn't be our default striker.

Emile Heskey has finally found his role in the England set up after years in the international wilderness as boss Fabio Capello looks set to partner the Wigan striker with Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott at Wembley on Saturday.

The Italian is set to go with an attacking 4-3-3 formation which will see Heskey as England's lynchpin in attack, preferred to Pompey's Peter Crouch.

What a renaissance it has been for England's forgotten man, who has seen his career come full circle. Now picked ahead of Michael Owen, the nations default striker when in times of trouble, Heskey and his style of play has remained typically English in a way that has been lacking for some years.

His importance to the team now, aged 30, was highlighted when a slight knock picked up in training was of more concern than John Terry's absence.

Man United's Wayne Rooney, who has come under fire in some sections of the press for his England performances, has spoke of the pleasure he gets when playing with Heskey,

"The only previous time I played with Emile was about three years ago and I really enjoyed it," Rooney said, as reported in the Telegraph.

"It was the same against Andorra and Croatia. Emile will hold the ball up and stay high up the pitch, which is good because it gives me space behind him to get on the ball. That is my best position."

Despite outlining the Wigan forward as little more than a battering ram, the United striker compared Heskey to the all star cast at Old Trafford which will make Steve Bruce, arguably Heskey's biggest fan, very proud indeed.

"Carlos Tévez, at Manchester United, is a similar player, but now we have Dimitar Berbatov and he will play as Emile does."

Heskey himself is so humble as to recognise that he may not to be of everyone's taste, but he is capable of doing a job, as he heaped praise on Rooney as part of an England striker's love-in.

"I know where Wayne wants the ball and where he runs and I look to build my game around that," Heskey said.

"He is a fantastic talent, so my job is to get the best out of him. I don't know if I went out of fashion, but it feels nice to be wanted again."

And it's good to have you back, Emile. But why has it taken a foreign manager to realise that Owen wasn't the best option for every game?

Why did McClaren not have the bottle to drop Owen when we needed some brute force up top? Could Heskey force his way into the England team on a regular basis, or is this Capello simply testing out new methods against pitifully poor opposition?

Although his arrival has not been the total shake up we were all expecting, he has taken some bold and interesting moves, and the inclusion of Heskey to the starting line up is certainly up there.

Now all Capello has to do is solve the central midfield conundrum and the World Cup is surely ours. Well, you get the picture.

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