His excellent scoring form for Southampton, in getting 16 goals from only 24 games, earned Peter Crouch a £7 million transfer to Anfield in July 2005. The tallest player ever at the club, it had always been a struggle for Crouch to prove himself to his critics. His valiant efforts at St Mary’s proved his ability at Premier League level after being considered unworthy at Aston Villa. An England call-up in May 2005 further confirmed his potential as a major talent.
Rafa signed the gangly 6ft 7 inch centre forward as an aerial presence to give his team more scoring possibilities when encountering the solid, physical defences in the Premiership. Crouch has the ability to bring teammates into play through his knockdowns and by holding onto the ball, but he also possesses considerable skill on the ground.
He started off slowly at Liverpool, impressing with his work rate but it was difficult to find the back of the net in a season where the strikers struggled to finish off scoring chances – leading to an incredible 19 game goal drought that finally ended against Wigan – with a brace.
Crouch enjoyed a good time at the World Club Championship in December 2005, adding 2 goals in the semi-final. In the FA Cup, he came up with the winner as Liverpool knocked Manchester United out for the first time since the war.
Crouch’s most memorable goal arrived in 2006, a stunning overhead bicycle kick against Galatasaray at Anfield. He repeated the feat against Bolton later that season. A ‘perfect’ hat-trick against Arsenal in April 2007 also added to his Anfield highlights reel.
Crouch played the final 12 minutes of the 2007 Champions League Final against AC Milan, with many fans feeling he should have started the match.
After the arrival of Fernando Torres in 2007, Crouch’s first team chances became more limited.
After 134 appearances and 42 goals, Crouch left Liverpool for Portsmouth in 2008 for £8m, seeking regular first team football. He later moved to Tottenham a summer later for £10m and has been often linked with a return to Anfield.
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