On This Day in 2005 – England striker Peter Crouch signs for Liverpool
Peter Crouch celebrates scoring for Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)
Peter Crouch joined Liverpool from Southampton for £7million on this day in 2005.
The forward signed a four-year deal with the Champions League holders to link up with England team-mates Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on Merseyside.
Crouch had scored 12 goals in the previous Premier League season, but it was not enough to keep Southampton up and he subsequently moved to Anfield after Saints’ relegation.
Peter Crouch was prolific for Southampton before moving to Liverpool (Chris Ison/PA)
Tottenham academy graduate Crouch would spend three years with Liverpool, scoring 40 goals across 135 appearances and helping them win the FA Cup in 2006.
After previous spells with QPR, Portsmouth and Aston Villa, Crouch had to wait a number of months before he opened his account for new club Liverpool.
Crouch eventually grabbed his maiden goal for the Reds on December 3 against Wigan, but would also net the winner against Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round and score the decisive goal months later in a Community Shield triumph over Chelsea.
A hat-trick against Arsenal was the highlight of his second season at Liverpool, which ended with a substitute appearance in defeat by AC Milan in the Champions League final.
Fernando Torres’ arrival in the summer of 2007 saw Crouch’s opportunities reduced and a year later he departed to Portsmouth in an £11m deal.
Harry Redknapp brought Crouch back to the south-coast club and secured his services again one season later after he took over at Tottenham.
Crouch celebrates his winner against Manchester City (Martin Rickett/PA)
Back at his boyhood club, Crouch helped Spurs qualify for the Champions League for the first time,
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