EMILE Heskey may not have scored, but he plays a very important role for England's World Cup qualification campaign.

The Wigan striker may not be as fast as Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon.

The 30-year-old may not score as often as Wayne Rooney or Michael Owen.

But he provides a focal point for the England team, one that still likes to play the traditional long ball.

Despite the continental know-how that Fabio Capello brings in, England's strength is still in the air.

And that is where Heskey's physical strength and height come into play.

He will pose a very big threat in the opponent's penalty box during set-pieces, causing anxiety among the defenders with his physical presence and bulldozing runs.

He can also knock down long balls from defence into the path of team-mates too, like how he helped to set up Jermain Defoe's goal last night.

Otherwise he has the strength to protect the ball while waiting for his team-mates to come into good positions in the last third of the field.

Overall, his contribution against Kazakhstan was good, although in the first half he looked a little lost up front.

That is because he is the type of player who needs his team-mates to play the ball around him.

In the first half, he was isolated up front because Rooney was stuck playing on the left flank, while Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were stopped by the Kazakh defence crowding in the middle.

That changed in the second half when Rooney was moved into the second striker role.

More contribution

Heskey needs a player of Rooney's calibre playing behind him - one who is technically very sound.

People have been talking about Owen's absence from the team, but Heskey can contribute more to the team.

He epitomises the English determination and fits well with England's current style of play, while Owen plays too much like Rooney.

Capello must have learnt a lot about Owen's abilities and capabilities when they were both at Real Madrid.

And credit to him, the Italian has been marrying his tactical nous with England's strengths without bowing to public pressure so far.

The former Milan and Juventus coach has shown that he knows how to get the best of ageing players such as Heskey and David Beckham, by putting them at the most appropriate moments in a game.

Heskey, who can be really effective, was given the right support.