I recently watched the U21 Manchester derby in the Premier League 2, with an eye on Manchester City U21’s midfielder, Jaden Heskey. The son of former Premier League and England striker Emile Heskey, Jaden captained the side as the RCM in a 4-3-3 formation. Overall, he had a very consistent, solid contribution to his team’s performance in this match. While not having the most glory-full role in the City system (the U21’s play the same 4-3-3 system that Pep used with the senior team), Heskey put in a good shift and made very few mistakes. Here is a more detailed breakdown of his various attributes as displayed in the match vs. Manchester United U21.

Physical:

Heskey is not a towering presence, but has a strong build that he uses effectively in midfield. Using a low centre-of-gravity, Heskey was consistently able to shield the ball with his body and ride challenges. When playing in tight spaces, Heskey’s agility and balance were on display, helping him to play out from under pressure. Heskey’s most notable weakness was his pace and acceleration, which was sub-standard for this match. However, he still covered a notable amount of space in this match, constantly moving up and down the half-spaces. Late in the match, Heskey appeared tired and was slower to get up and down the pitch, indicating his stamina might need some development.

Mental:

This is the area where Heskey excelled the most. He looked to have a game understanding of a much older, more experienced player. His overall decision-making and composure under pressure were strong on both sides of the ball. In possession, Heskey rarely made mistakes and did not attempt any ill-advised passes, while looking very calm in difficult situations. He could work on looking to be more proactive when on the ball, however this was in part due to his role within the Manchester City tactical philosophy. His vision in tight spaces was apparent, shown on multiple occasions with creative short interplay. Heskey was consistent and reliable for his team throughout this match, selflessly covering his teammates’ defensive positions when they left gaps in the team structure. Overall, Heskey showed a professional attitude, veteran-level composure, and strong decision making, while being slightly risk-averse at times.

Technical:

While Heskey has no major weaknesses in the technical side of his game, he needs improvement to reach his potential. In this match, Heskey showed a reliable first touch, using it well to set up his next play. This was combined with strong press resistance, showing an ability to dribble or turn away from pressure, not dispossessed once in this match. Defensively, Heskey showed his ability to win the ball, displaying good tackling technique.

He showed strength in tight spaces, able to play the ball quickly and avoid turnovers. Heskey would often call for the ball while being marked and help teammates out of difficult situations. In this match Heskey showed a very capable short passing game but did not attempt longer progressive passes. While very reliable and unlikely to turn the ball over, developing his progressive ability (dribbling, long passing) would elevate Heskey’s technical ability in his role considerably.

Tactical:

In this match, Heskey showed impressive tactical awareness of both his and his teammates’ positions and defensive responsibilities. He was often observed covering for any teammate who had left a defensive gap when moving forward and was instrumental in preserving team shape. In the defensive third, Heskey was regularly in the correct position to intercept passes, but in the middle third he did not block passing lanes as consistently. His education in the club philosophy is clear, with Heskey showing great recognition of where and when to press, as well as where to position himself to support teammates in attack. As the team buildup revolved around their DM, Heskey was not the primary tempo-setter of the attack but showed good awareness of tempo when on the ball. Heskey’s most notable weakness in this area was his attacking off the ball movement, often being too passive when opportunities to make forward runs presented themselves.

Overall Summary and Potential:

In this match, Jaden Heskey played the role of a supportive central midfielder in Manchester City U21’s 4-3-3 formation. Playing the same system as the City senior team, Heskey’s primary responsibility was the right half-space. While buildup often went through the DM to the flanks, Heskey provided consistent outlet pass opportunities to his teammates and was a key component of the team structure. He played a supporting role into the final third, where his role was to disrupt the defensive line with his movement, providing additional box presence or an underlapping run for his winger. Defensively, Heskey was responsible for initiating a high press alongside the ST, screening the defence throughout the middle third, and blocking passing lanes in the defensive third. Heskey was a consistent performer in this match, rarely making mistakes and facilitating his teammates. His impact on the match was not noted on the scoresheet, but evident.

Based on this match, Heskey’s greatest strength is his mind. He displayed an experienced understanding of the game, especially in anticipating opposition moves before they develop. He intercepted several dangerous passes around his 18-yard box in this match, preventing many chances before they developed. Heskey showed a mature, composed attitude throughout the match, acting like a model professional. His positional awareness allowed him to recognize and cover defensive gaps left by teammates and was one of the most important players in retaining City’s rest defence shape. Heskey’s psychological attributes were key in his execution of his role.

To reach his full potential in his best role, Heskey will need to develop his already serviceable technical skills. In this match he showed strong, but not elite, technical ability for the level of play. Most notably, improving his press resistance (strength, dribbling) and passing range can elevate his game to the next level. Heskey’s most notable weakness was his pace and acceleration, looking like one of the slower players on the pitch.

Overall, Heskey had a strong, although not dominant, impact on the match. Defensively, he was one of the more important players but could have looked to offer more progressiveness going forward. Heskey showed very advanced psychological attributes and tactical understanding for his age. While he played as the right #8 for the entire match, he showed the ability to take up roles as a #6 or #10 in midfield. Heskey’s potential ceiling is that of a Premier League player, with him playing at a solid Championship level in this match. A loan move for regular senior football is important to help Heskey reach his potential, as he seems to have outgrown U21 football. Gaining experience against full-grown men would help boost Heskey’s physical development and speed up his path to the Premier League.

Current Ability: Leading League One, Average Championship

Potential Ability: Premier League regular

Thanks for reading!

-LM