Heskey legacy: from Liverpool hero to City's next generation

Manchester City fans in Huddersfield sang the names of Yaya and Kolo Toure on Wednesday night - and then watched another footballing family write its first lines in sky blue. With City cruising 2-0 in the EFL Cup, Pep Guardiola handed debuts to Jaden and Reigan Heskey, sons of former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey.

It was a fitting twist: a Liverpool cult hero's children flourishing under Guardiola. Ten years after Emile's final EFL Cup outing, his teenage sons were making theirs.

"Six academy players started, and then the Heskey brothers came on," Guardiola said after the match. "Their parents must be so proud. That's really cool."

Reigan, 17, is a pacey winger. Jaden, 19, a strong, tireless midfielder who captains City's U21s and lifted the FA Youth Cup in 2024. Both joined City's academy at eight and are now tipped for bigger stages. Their father sees familiar traits: "Reigan's lightning quick, and Jaden's a bit of a beast like I was."

Emile Heskey won several trophies and 62 England caps during his career, with his peak coming at Liverpool alongside Michael Owen. Yet as his sons begin their own path, they're not in red but in sky blue - part of Guardiola's ever-churning youth pipeline.

For Liverpool, Heskey remains a memory of the treble-winning side of 2001. For City, his sons might just become a glimpse of the future.