Peter Crouch Profile

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez spent a chunk of the money collected from his Champions League triumph last season on the towering Crouch.

He had shown signs of quality in the latter stages of his Southampton career, yet the £7m paid to take him to Anfield looked a little pricey, especially when he failed to score for four months.

Still, Sven Goran Eriksson appreciates his importance to this England squad and at 6'7", there can be little doubt that he adds an extra option from the bench. The England fans who booed his arrival in an international last year will live to regret those jibes if Crouch shines in Germany.