Heskey gained his first international recognition with the England national under-16 team, making his debut on 26 April 1994 as a substitute in 1–0 win over Portugal in their opening match at the 1994 UEFA European Under-16 Championship. His first start came two days later as England drew 1–1 with the Republic of Ireland. All four of Heskey's under-16 caps came at this tournament, in which England were eliminated in the quarter-final by Ukraine, losing 7–6 on penalties after a 2–2 extra-time draw.