Against a beachside backdrop, the marquee signing spoke glowingly of his young team-mates and his role as a senior mentor in an ambitious Jets line-up brimming with potential Socceroos.

With five goals already to his name this season the former Premier League striker admits he didn’t know what to expect when he first arrived, but says he was “sold on the place” by former Liverpool great Robbie Fowler who enjoyed spells at North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory.

Heskey said there were plenty of naysayers prepared to rundown the A-League but Fowler convinced him the standard was good.

“They play some really nice football here, we’ve got some good young lads and they’re passionate about it,” he told the BBC Sport crew. “The fitness levels are unbelievable so they’re going to be good.

“Everyone says, oh is it a Premier League? The Premier League has the best stars in the world so it’s difficult to actually compare it.

“We’ve got a really young team at Newcastle and they’re learning the game and they’re learning really quick, and adjusting really quick and they’ve got bright futures hopefully in the national team of Australia because that’s the stage they need to be playing at.

“Every player wants to play for their national team. It’s every player’s dream, especially when you’re playing younger football – you want to be playing in the national team.”

Heskey even touched on the negative media publicity that has dogged his international career, during which he earned 62 caps for England and was selected for two World Cup squads.

“You know you listen to whatever you want to listen to – people can criticise about anything,” he said.

“If you’re walking along the road they’ll pick something if you’re walking on that side of the road and not that side.

“I’ve played football. There’s a lot of people who haven’t played football who criticise. But you haven’t stepped in my shoes, you haven’t played.

“If I wasn’t good enough, I wouldn’t be there. So that’s all I told myself. If they didn’t want me they wouldn’t pick me. A lot of the times when I got back in there was other players they could’ve picked and they picked me.”

Heskey said the owners and the fans had been “brilliant”, although he doesn’t get recognised as much as he thought he would. And what about his role in the team?

“A senior figure really to help the young lads come along, ‘cause they’re good,” he said.

“But giving them a little bit of focus on football, because you can be distracted with the beach and having the life that you have here. But you know they’re footballers as well.”

Coach Gary van Egmond also has clear expectations of his star recruit.

“On the pitch he just wants me to be a number nine - stay up front, have things bouncing off you, get into the box and trying to get the goals,” Heskey said.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a goal scorer, I’m a football player. I played in so many different positions. The only place I didn’t play was goalkeeper – I’d be good there as well.”

Whether he stays in the Hunter after this season is a matter for the owners and manager but the former Liverpool, Wigan and Aston Villa forward seems content to stay put.

“Hopefully I will do enough to grant a new contract but you know we’ll have a look at that as time goes on,” he said. “I’ll just keep an open mind on everything.”