Emile Heskey signs for Neil Lennon’s Bolton

36-year-old Heskey has been without a club after leaving Australian A-League side Newcastle Jets. Picture: Getty

The 36-year-old, who has been without a club after leaving Australian A-League side Newcastle Jets, has been training with Neil Lennon’s men and played for their under-21 side this week.

Heskey has done enough to impress Lennon, who he played with at Leicester, and earned a short-term deal, following in the footsteps of fellow veteran striker Eidur Gudjohnsen who signed a similar contract earlier this month.

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Wanderers must wait for international clearance in order for Heskey, whose last English club was Aston Villa, to be available for their Boxing Day clash with Blackburn.

Heskey has played 62 times for England and also featured for Liverpool, Birmingham and Wigan.

Lennon said he had no hesitation about bringing in Heskey.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think he’ll make us better, so for me it was a no-brainer really. He’s very happy about it and we’re very happy about it.

“It’s a short-term deal so financially it’s not going to hurt the club that much. I just think he’s still got real qualities he can bring to the club.”

Lennon said the striker’s “physical presence”, “touch” and “awareness of where people are” were “still of a very high calibre”.

The Northern Irishman said he “absolutely” expected Heskey and Gudjohnsen to be able to play alongside each other.

He added: “Once we get clearance he could be in the squad for Boxing Day (for the match against Blackburn), if we can get the all clear, because he’s training very well.

“Eidur’s playing very well at the minute as well, so there’s no reason not to play the two of them.”