Former England striker Emile Heskey has been unveiled as the marquee signing of Newcastle Jets in Australia’s A-League this season.

The former Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wigan and Aston Villa whipping boy is expected to be available for the season opener on October 7.

Under the marquee system, each A-League club is allowed one player whose salary is not included in their squad’s salary budget. Jets’ coach Gary Van Egmond said Heskey’s crowd-pulling potential, experience, strength and ability to hold up the ball made him an ideal marquee signing.

OTP would have thought shooting might be useful for an expensive striker, but there you go. At 34 years old Heskey is not in the team for his youth and good looks.

Other feature players in the competition this year include Alessandro Del Piero at Sydney FC, with Shinji Ono or Michael Ballack expected to sign for new franchise West Sydney Wanderers.

Meanwhile, Australia’s own glam boy Harry Kewell has left Melbourne Victory and is looking, for family reasons, to find a club in England.