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Picture the scene: Bolton Wanderers have just signed 'washed up' 36-year-old former England striker Emile Heskey following a swan song most likely earning a pretty penny or two in Australia. Wanderers fans are being roundly mocked for the signing by their lesser neighbours up the road in Blackburn before the two sides clash on Boxing Day 2014.
With Wanderers trailing to a Joshua King goal after some ridiculous defending, Neil Lennon turned to the big man and brought him on for his debut at half-time. Teaming up with fellow 36-year-old forward Eidur Gudjohnsen, Wanderers' OAP strikeforce had most fans fearing the worst but, lo and behold, it worked an absolute treat.
Eidur picked the ball up out on the left, drove at the Blackburn defence and fed a beautiful pass across the goal with the outside of his right foot to the sliding figure of big Emile himself, who couldn't fail to miss the five-yard tap-in. Wanderers fans were in dreamland with many, including our own Dan Murphy, succumbing to hysterical laughter at what we'd just witnessed. Here is that beautiful goal for you all to relive once again:
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jm-jspQebf8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Heskey debut goal
And it wasn't just Wanderers fans who were astounded by Heskey's debut goal, it shook the whole footballing world. However, the fact that Heskey has still not scored again since his debut is beside the point and totally irrelevant.
Now while some of the reaction to Heskey's goal ranged from being a little bit silly to highly ludicrous...
Emile Heskey has just come on for Bolton so we thought we'd post this. pic.twitter.com/vB7CvTYxL9
— Not Match of the Day (@NOT_MOTD) December 26, 2014
... The absolute unequivocal truth is that Heskey came on, he scored, we went mental, Blackburn fans were made to regret their mockery and probably cried a little bit - and the Internet broke:
Kim Kardashian tried.. Emile Ivanhoe Heskey did it. #BreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/cY8KVTGVOa
— bet365 (@bet365) December 26, 2014
I'm sure Wanderers fans will always have a little space in their hearts for Emile from now on, but just imagine what will happen when he scores his second Bolton goal against Blackburn on Friday night...