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Heskey, 34, turned up with his family just a week before the new A-League season starts but was unfazed by the schedule.

He shrugged off concerns about his and said he was relishing the task ahead of him.

"My enthusiasm has never stopped. It's a new country, a new beginning," he said.

"I'd always told myself, if I wasn't going to get a Premier League [club], I was going to go abroad because I've always wanted to play abroad.

"To be honest, Australia wasn't my first destination when I was younger, but it's a nice destination and it's an up and coming footballing nation."

His partner and children flew out with him to look for a home in the Hunter while Heskey knuckles down on the training field in preparation for their opening match next weekend.

Heskey is likely to start that game on the bench after months without a club since leaving Aston Villa at the end of last season.

He has been training on his own since then but although looking slim and fit, he admits he still has work to do.

"Training on your own is different from match fitness," he said at Sydney Airport this morning, already wearing a Newcastle polo shirt and a Jets scarf borrowed from a waiting fan.

"You need games to be match sharp. I think I've had 45 minutes in a training game so I'll need some games, but I'll soon get up to pace.

"We'll see how the training goes - I've heard it gets a bit hot out here which is a bit different from Manchester where it's raining every day.

"But I should be okay, fingers crossed."

Heskey hailed the club's efforts to bring him to Newcastle, flying out to the UK meet him and sell the club and A-League.

"It was a nice gesture by them," he said. "They told me it was a family club and it reminded me of Leicester.

"I started at Leicester and it's family-run club, everyone knows everyone, everyone loved playing and everyone worked hard for each other.

"And he said it's the same thing here. It's like going back to the beginning but somewhere else."

Heskey said he had no specific targets for this season - but fancied ending the season with some silverware to show for it.

"I'm just going to take it game by game and see how it goes," he said. "I want to do really well and hit the ground running.

"I've always looked at silverware. Wherever I've gone, I've tried to win silverware. It's something I came into the game at a young age wanting to do.

"It was a bit of a long flight but I'm here now and raring to go. I played with Michael Bridges for England in the 18s and under 21s so I know him and he's told quite a bit about the league and the team.

"I can't wait to meet the lads, have a little bit of training with them and see how things go."

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