Wigan Athletic would be interested in re-signing Emile Heskey, who could leave Aston Villa in January in search of first-team football.

The striker joined Villa from Wigan for £3.5million in January this year but has only scored twice in 19 Barclays Premier League starts and has failed to score or hold down a starting role this season, with just one league start and four substitute appearances.

After his good performance in England's 1-0 defeat by Ukraine last Saturday, the 31-year-old said that he is prepared to consider a move in the next transfer window in order to find regular first-team football and boost his chances of making the squad for next year's World Cup finals. Fabio Capello, the manager, has previously said that players must be appearing regularly for their clubs if he is to pick them, though the Italian appears to be willing to make an exception to that rule in Heskey's case.

Heskey's former club seem keen to have him back. Dave Whelan, the Wigan owner, enthused about the forward's qualities this afternoon. "I thought he was fantastic for us," Whelan said. "He's such a wonderful target man. Everybody in football would like Emile somewhere in their squad." Asked directly if Wigan were interested in re-signing him, Whelan said: "We could well be."

Heskey cited the need to move to a club with Champions League aspirations when he left Wigan, but it is hard to imagine the leading clubs, with the possible exception of another of his former teams, Liverpool, wanting to buy him in January.

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