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 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. However, Crouch had 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.
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