Little Jay Spearing unfazed by giants of game

Liverpool’s Jay Spearing says he is unfazed by his smaller height compared to some tall Premier League strikers.

The 23-year-old Birkenhead born midfielder came face to face with former Reds striker Peter Crouch last Sunday, with the 6ft 7inch Stoke striker towering above Spearing.

Spearing recalls seeing a photograph of him challenging the England international for a header during the game, but says his height is not a major flaw in his game.

“I remember going up for the header and he just stood there and headed it away and the crowd started laughing. I saw the photograph on Twitter and I knew something would come of that,” he says.

“I have never been the tallest but I have always believed if I’m good enough I will play. I don’t think I’ve grown since I was 16 and I will always come across players like Fellaini, Crouchy or Zamora and maybe I’ll have to stay away and not go for headers, but I’ve never worried about height.

“I was playing centre back until I was 18. I knew I could read the game and play, so I thought if I was good enough they wouldn’t get near enough to me to cause problems. It’s obviously a disadvantage when the ball is in the air but Iniesta and Xavi or Paul Scholes have shown that size does not matter if you can play football.”