What can veteran duo Heskey and Gudjohnsen offer Bolton?

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for, Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey has returned to English football, and with Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers (9/1 with Coral to finish in the play-offs at the end of the season).

Trotters boss Neil Lennon offered his former Leicester City teammate a trial with the Lancashire club, with the 36-year-old impressing in an Under-21 match against Reading, where he managed 63 minutes in the loss. The former Liverpool forward has been signed on a short-term contract after his release from Australian outfit Newcastle Jets.

It seems an age since Heskey was terrorising Premier League defences, with his famed battering ram style, but now fans will get the chance to see the former England international in action in this country once more.

He becomes Bolton’s second free transfer in recent weeks, with fellow 36-year-old Eidur Gudjohnsen joining his former club, also after a successful trial. The Icelandic attacker has featured twice already, in a 0-0 draw with high-flying Ipswich Town and 1-0 away win over Millwall.

Heskey and Gudjohnsen have joined at a great time for the Trotters too, as they are currently on a run of seven Championship games without a loss, taking them up to 16th in the table after a poor start to the season. They are now 12 points off the top six, and seven above the drop zone.

But what extra can these mid-30s has-beens offer Bolton?

For one, the versatile duo will be able to offer cover for injured midfielder Mark Davies, and winger Chung-Yong Lee, who is expected to link up with South Korea for the Asian Cup in January.

While neither of usual forwards Heskey and Gudjohnsen were prolific scorers in their heyday, they gained reputations for bringing others into the game with their unique sacrificing styles.

Lennon will be hoping that they can link up with the likes of current club leading marksman Craig Davies, and help the side produce more goals – they’ve managed to net just 23 from their opening 22 matches so far.

The 36-year-olds also bring much-needed experience and quality to a side hoping to gain promotion back to the Premier League (22/1 chances to do so this term).