As the Sky Sports camera’s head to the King Power Stadium for tonight’s Carabao Cup Round Three match between Leicester City and Liverpool, Emile Heskey recalls his best moments of the competition during his playing days.
The former striker played in three League Cup finals for Leicester City and two for Liverpool, winning the trophy four times in what would have been some of the most memorable of his career.
“It was a great competition for me when I was playing,” he said. “I went to six finals, winning four of them. It gave me a chance to win trophies, and that’s the reason I played football - to win trophies.”
Heskey’s first League Cup triumph, and most memorable one, came in 1997 with Leicester City. The Foxes defeated Middlesbrough at Hillsborough in a replay of the final that year, after he netted in the first match.
“Winning the League Cup with Leicester in 1997 was phenomenal,” he recalled. “That day at Wembley was unbelievable; the atmosphere was unlike anything I’ve ever known.
“I scored the equaliser to make it 1-1 to take it to a replay that we went on to win at Hillsborough, so that was a special moment as well.
“It’s a great opportunity to claim a trophy early on and give your fans a day out at Wembley that they’ll never forget.”
When asked about a prediction for tonight’s match between two of his former sides, however, he refused to be drawn.
“I think I’ll sit on the fence here,” he said. “Both teams will want to go through to the next round as it’s a chance to win a trophy early on and kick-start your season.
"Leicester know what they’re capable of doing and Liverpool can be great going forward, it’ll be a really exciting match.”