Gerrard said: "I just tell people to get off Emile's back when they have a go at him. I think the way he often gets criticised is very unfair. Everyone has got to realise the stuff that Emile does for the team. He is not an individual player that is greedy in front of goal.
"He works for the team, puts in a lot of good running, holds the ball up well and he can also get very important goals and assists in the big games. I rate Emile Heskey very highly as a player and I like the fact that he is in my team. I don't think he is an out-and-out goalscorer like an Alan Shearer or a Michael Owen. "They are different people. They are goalscorers. Emile is more of a team player who is going to do all the dirty work for your team.A lot of Michael's goals come from the work Emile puts in and I think the pair of them compliment each other very well. "Maybe Emile is the kind of player who is only appreciated by his team-mates and that's why he comes in for a lot of criticism. When you play with Emile week in and week out, you realise what he does for the team."
