LONDON — Any suggestion at the end of last season that Emile Heskey should be recalled to the England team would have been met with ridicule. Wigan Athletic was the only club in 2006-07 not to supply a player to the England squad, but now its center forward has gone from international underachiever — five goals in 43 appearances — to England's savior against Israel in a Euro 2008 qualifier on Saturday.
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Adding to the unexpected elevation in status for Heskey is the fact that he was drafted onto the squad by head coach Steve McClaren after it had been announced even though no strikers suffered injuries in last weekend's Premier League games. Why wasn't he picked for the initial squad?