Jewell recently demanded Heskey hit double figures for the season and the 29-year-old has since scored three goals in his last three matches.

Two of those goals helped Wigan claim vital points in their battle to avoid relegation with draws at Aston Villa and home to Spurs.

Now Heskey has the chance to net his 10th this term against former club Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

"We've felt all season he has been one of our main players, if not the main player," said Jewell of the club record $AUD13million buy last summer.

"He has been excellent, and now he is in good goalscoring form with three in three.

"We recently said to him 'We need you to reach double figures between now and the end of the season'.

"Since then he's scored the three. It just shows goalscoring is a funny thing because at the moment things are just dropping for him in the box.

"It would be nice if he could now add to it again. Hopefully he will continue in this vein and keep us in the Premiership."

Asked if he had had a bet with Heskey on reaching double figures, Jewell joked: "If he scores 12 goals I'll pay him plenty of money, don't worry about that."

Jewell, though, would ideally prefer Heskey to be more selfish, even though he appreciates the role he does for the team.

"Emile is a very unassuming player," added Jewell.

"He is a very nice lad, but you just wish at times he had more of an edge to him because I think he is almost too nice.

"He is just a real big team player. I know he gets a bit of stick from the media, but for me he has all the tools in the box to play for a top club.

"When he played at Liverpool I don't think he did himself justice, but I also feel they were going through a transitional period at that time."

Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and centre-back Fitz Hall will both miss the rest of the club's fight to beat the drop.

Kirkland has undergone surgery for an injury to his right shoulder after previously spending the last two months out with a damaged thumb.

The England international last played for the Latics in a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 11, since when veteran John Filan has kept goal.

"He's had an operation on his shoulder, and will hopefully be fit for the start of next pre-season," confirmed Jewell.

"His thumb injury was taking longer than expected to heal, and he was always going to have shoulder surgery in the summer anyway.

"So because the thumb injury was going to keep him out, we decided to go ahead with the surgery earlier than we had planned."

Hall, meanwhile, injured his knee in the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa 10 days ago, and has also now been ruled out for the final vital few weeks of the campaign.