The truth, Emile truth ... and nothing but the TRUTH!

LIVERPOOL played the part of innocent extras as a comic transfer farce unfolded at Filbert Street last night.

Emile Heskey and Stan Collymore played the starring roles - with prime walk-on parts being handed to rival bosses Martin O'Neill and John Gregory, and Leicester City chairman John Elsom.

Liverpool were taking more than a passing interest in The Worthington Cup semi-final, knowing a Leicester City defeat against Aston Villa would speed up Emile Heskey's arrival at Anfield.

Heskey is on his way to Liverpool, and nowhere else, despite the understandable cloak of secrecy thrown over the deal in the Midlands.

Liverpool have rightly maintained a diplomatic and total silence on all matters Heskey, actually preferring to conduct their transfers in the rather old-fashioned manner of only talking business when you have completed it.

So it was with a sense of bewilderment that a series of bizarre interviews took place in the bowels of Filbert Street that almost transcended the match itself.

Liverpool's hopes of an early Heskey arrival were blighted by a Leicester City victory, and by a series of "world of the strange" after-match events.

First on stage was a wild-eyed Martin O'Neill, announcing Heskey was "not going anywhere", now a fairly obvious conclusion to draw from a manager who has just guided his team to Wembley.

O'Neill then went on to suddenly do something completely against his nature, and actually stop himself from saying something.

"No leave it . . ." said O'Neill.

Cue mystified Sky presenters wondering what O'Neill was actually about to announce.

Next up was John Gregory, who looked suitably hellish, and then received another blow below the belt when he was asked would he now recall Stan Collymore, which would be akin to the old proverb about turkeys voting for Christmas.

John skirted around the issue, before throwing in the aside that a deal was "done and dusted" and Collymore would be signing for Leicester City in the morning.

Cue more mystified Sky presenters.

Gregory kindly left the stage to allow Elsom to step on and explain the Collymore deal.

He said: "It has been a sort of pantomime night with all the rumours that have been going around - and there is no truth in the one about Stan Collymore.

"It is well documented that Martin O'Neill has spoken to Stan Collymore but no deal has gone through. There are a number of things that have to be discussed and cleared.

"To be honest it has almost come to a halt at the moment and let me be clear and say I don't expect a resolution to the issue on Thursday."

Confused? You will be.

The Heskey plot, discussed openly on radio and TV before and during the game, was as thick as O'Neill's Irish accent.

So what conclusion are we to draw? Could it be this one:

Collymore had been lined up as Heskey's replacement in the event of Leicester's departure from The Worthington Cup, hence Gregory's suggestion (and one thing this man isn't is a liar) that Stanley Victor, as he called him without a single trace of affection, would be at Filbert Street today.

And could it be that Leicester's victory allowed them to take their foot off the ball over Collymore?

One thing we do know is that Emile Heskey is expected to end up at Liverpool one day . . . and that day could well be shortly after The Worthington Cup Final.

© Liverpool Daily Post & Echo