Heskey set to check in at Villa Park

He will provide competition to Gabby Agbonlahor and John Carew with Marlon Harewood's future uncertain.

O'Neill and Heskey enjoyed a fruitful partnership for five seasons at Leicester City before he made an £11million move to Liverpool in 2000.

At Anfield he won multiple honours, including the FA Cup in 2001.

He moved to Birmingham City for £4.75million in 2004 and was named Player's Player of the Season and Fan's Player of the Season after finishing as top goalscorer with 11 goals.

The following season Heskey scored four goals in 34 appearances as relegation to the Championship ensued.

Heskey moved to current club Wigan Athletic for £5.5million in July 2006.

He scored nine goals in his first season at Wigan but just four league goals followed in his second season.

This season has hardly been any more prolific.

He has scored just three league goals against Hull, Portsmouth and Blackburn but O'Neill is convinced he can get the very best out of the player.

Heskey has been an England international for a decade since his debut against Hungary in 1999. He has now won 50 caps, scoring five goals.

Eleven months after his last cap against Russia, Heskey made his first international appearance under Fabio Capello in the Czech Republic friendly at Wembley Stadium in August.

He replaced Jermain Defoe at half-time and his impact prompted Capello to call upon the striker's services on four other occasions throughout the year, all in World Cup Qualifiers.