Harry Redknapp with striker Peter Crouch after he signed for Portsmouth in July 2008 (Getty Images)
Crouch rejoins Pompey
Peter Crouch, recently re-signed by Portsmouth, has revealed that his final days at Liverpool were far from happy ones…
Crouch was all smiles when he rejoined the Pompey revolution yesterday with the completion of his ₤11million move from Merseyside.The 27-year-old has been arguably among the Premier League’s most improved players during his spell with the Reds, earning himself a regular spot in the England set-up.
But the former Southampton man could not help but betray his frustration at the limited opportunities he received last season.
“I went to Liverpool with my eyes open,” Crouch said in The Sun. “I accepted I was going to be a part of the squad and that the manager was going to rotate players.
“But there is a fine line between getting a decent number of games and not playing as much as you would have liked.
“And towards the end it got a bit too much for me. It was frustrating because there were times when I was doing well, scoring goals yet still not playing in the next game.
“Any player will tell you he works best when he’s playing regularly and getting a good run of games.”
Fight
Undeniably the key reason for Crouch’s lack of game-time was the arrival of Fernando Torres, who burst onto the scene with 33 goals in his debut season to cement himself in the centre-forward slot.Combined with the system change implemented by Reds boss Rafael Benitez, which involves a lone striker, Crouch was relegated mostly to cup games and late substitute appearances.
“Rafa Benitez had his ideas and I had mine,” he continued. “Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jamie Carragher are totally indispensable and know they’re going to play every week.
“Everyone else at Liverpool has to fight for their position. Of course I would have liked to have played every game and been a regular in the Champions League. But that didn’t happen and it was one of the things that convinced me to move on.”
Prospects
Crouch admitted that his return to Fratton Park is in part designed to reinvigorate his England career, which would no doubt have faded into nothingness had he remained on the sidelines at Anfield.But the ex-Tottenham trainee is also keen to link up with Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, who he believes will coax him back into top form next term.
“I only started nine Premier League games last season and that’s not enough if you want to be playing for England,” Crouch said. “Hopefully regular first-team football will help my international prospects, but it’s not all about England.
“I just want to play again and enjoy my football. I’m 27-years-old and expect to be at the peak of my career in the next four years.
“Harry Redknapp has got the best out of me in the past and I know he can do the same for me now.”
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