Having started out as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur, Crouch first showed his goalscoring potential at QPR before earning a £1.25 million move to Portsmouth in 2001 as a 20-year-old.

After a brief spell at Aston Villa, which included a loan spell at Norwich City, Crouch returned to the south coast, joining Southampton in July 2004. He scored 17 goals in 2004/05 and.earned a first England call-up for the USA Tour in May 2005, making his debut against Colombia in New Jersey.

England striker Peter Crouch became Rafael Benitez’s sixth signing of the summer when he joined Liverpool from Southampton in July 2005, signing a four-year contract for £7million.

Standing at six foot seven Crouch is a tall striker who is good in the air but is also pretty decent on the ground as well. He can hold the ball up and bring others into play and he certainly lets defenders know they have been in a game.


During Southampton’s 2-0 win over Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium in January 2005 Crouch scored and gave Jamie Carragher one of the toughest tests he has faced.

Rafael Benitez is a great admirer of Crouch and he was his number one target on a list of potential arrivals at Anfield in the summer of 2005.

Despite Southampton’s relegation last season Crouch was their leading scorer with 16 goals from just 24 starts. He then made his England debut during the tour of the USA and set up a goal for Michael Owen in a win over Colombia.