Aston Villa's new manager Gerard Houllier has saluted 致敬 Emile Heskey, after the striker scored a late winner 后發制人的得勝一球 against local rivals 主場球隊 Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend.

Heskey scored in the 88th minute with a powerful header 有力的頭球, to finish the game 2-1 to Villa.

Heskey and Houllier have a long history together; Houllier signed 簽約 Heskey for his old club, Liverpool, over a decade ago. The pair were reunited when Houllier took over as Aston Villa's manager earlier this month.

"All I ask of him is that he believes in himself 相信自己 because he has tremendous assets 超強技能，" said Houllier.

"All strikers need a lot of confidence and when Emile is feeling confident, then he is awesome 令人瞠目結舌的。"

The game against Wolverhampton was Heskey's first Premier League start 首發 since being injured in March this year.

He also scored for Villa in Houllier's first match as manager: last Wednesday's Carling Cup tie 打平 against Blackburn, where Heskey came on in the second-half 下半場 as a substitute 替補隊員。

"He showed a few things in training that indicated to me he was in a good form period 競技佳境，" said Houllier after the match.

"He knows I like him. The attitude of the subs 替補隊員 is very important and they came on and brought something 為比賽增添色彩。" Villa won that game 3-1.

Heskey has not always been a fans' favourite 球迷的熱門隊員 in his two years at Villa but Houllier believes he may thrive 發展 on winning over 贏得 supporters.

"At the end of the day 說到底， maybe it is another challenge for him, to win the hearts 贏得人心 of the fans 球迷們 again," said the Aston Villa manager.

"Because he plays upfront 在前場 and sometimes misses sitters 輕而易舉的進球機會， people get on his back 背后指責他 and maybe that has hurt him in the past."

"But Emile fights for the ball in the air, tries to keep it and links up 承前啟后 with the midfield."

"His work-rate 跑動量 was phenomenal 令人吃驚的 today and his understanding and movement with Ashley Young is good."