Racist chants that have dogged Heskey's career

Emile Heskey has endured racist taunts throughout his career at club and international level.

He described the boos, chants and monkey noises from the home fans in Bratislava last October as the worst racially-motivated abuse he had ever experienced.

So bad was the abuse he received from Italian supporters during a friendly in 2000 in Turin that the Football Association wrote to Uefa, the European game's governing body, to complain.

After a Champions League draw for Liverpool against Boavista in Portugal, Heskey talked of his ordeal.

He said: "It does happen a lot in Europe, and the fact is I have got used to it - I have had to.

"It is sad that this sort of thing still goes on. I have had to put up with it on several recent trips."

He added: "All it tells you is that there are ignorant people out there. It just amazes me."

Heskey is known as the quiet man of football, a player who ambles along trying to get on with his job.

However, it has been suggested that the man affectionately called a "sleeping giant" by his Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier, scores goals too infrequently to be an international centre-forward.

His career in an England shirt has been one of seemingly unfulfilled potential. He has 37 caps yet has scored only five times.

But his strength of character has impressed managers.