Bruce wins striker battle

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has won the fight to keep star striker Emile Heskey until the end of the season, according to reports.

Bruce has always been adamant the England international would not be allowed to leave on the cheap next month despite the fact he falls out of contract in the summer.

Heskey is free to talk to other clubs at the turn of the year and can sign a pre-contract agreement, although owner Dave Whelan had earlier suggested he might cash in on the former Liverpool player rather than allow him to leave for nothing.

But conscious of the fact he would struggle to replace Heskey mid-season, Bruce has always favoured keeping him in order to give Latics the best chance of Premier League survival.

And that seems to have now swayed Whelan into resisting any bids from rival outfits, with Aston Villa, Everton, Liverpool, Spurs and even Chelsea linked with the 30-year-old.