It seemed such an unlikely combination that perhaps it was destined to
work.
Or perhaps Martin O'Neill's tactical nous really was that good.
Either way, the
partnership of Tony Cottee, a 30-something former
England striker thought by
many to be past his best, with a promising
local lad by the name of Emile Heskey
proved to be a roaring success,
and for two seasons Leicester City certainly reaped
the benefits. It
wasn't quite as simple as that, of course. The £500,000 signing from
Malaysian club Selangor took time to settle and managed only four goals
in 19
League games in 1997/98. Indeed, a mid-season loan spell at
Birmingham City
looked like becoming permanent until the move fell
through and Cottee found
himself back at Filbert Street.
The following
season was a different story, and his partnership with Heskey almost
had
the perfect start at Old Trafford on August 15th. Heskey's 7th minute
opener
and a second from Cottee late in the second-half put Leicester
2-0 up against
Manchester United, and only a Beckham equaliser deep into
injury time denied
City a famous victory. Cottee went on to net nine
more League goals to end the
season leading scorer, as his team again
exceeded expectations with another top-ten
finish. Leicester also
reached the Worthington Cup Final, losing 1-0 to Spurs at Wembley.
Cottee had never won a Cup Final and must have thought his last chance
had gone.
If so, the 1999/2000 season was a pleasant surprise as
Leicester reached a second
successive Worthington Cup Final - this time
capturing the trophy with a 2-1 victory
over Tranmere. At the final
whistle, the joy on Cottee's face was clear to see. He had
fulfilled a
career-long ambition and though he joined Norwich after just two
substitute
appearances in the 2000/01 season, the 35-year old left a
contented man.
(Liam Herringshaw)