Crouch certainly not short of confidence
Jul 26 2005
By Paul Walker, Daily Post
NEW RECRUIT Peter Crouch is "confident" he can match up to Liverpool's great strikers from the past.
The Macclesfield-born forward is expected to make his competitive club debut today away to Lithuanian champions in the Champions League second qualifying round, first leg.
Crouch knows that at 6ft 7in, in comparison to some of Liverpool's great strikers from history many feel he hardly matches up in the skill stakes.
But the 24-year-old England international cannot wait to prove people wrong. He said: "There's not many around like me.
"My fitness is good and I am just looking forward to the games, particularly the Champions League qualifi-cation, I am fit and raring to go.
"There have been some great strikers who have pulled on the Liverpool shirt, more recently Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.
"And going back over the years there has been Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish, and I have a lot to live up to but I am hopeful and confident that I can do that, be here as long as possible and do as well as I can."
Crouch made Liverpool's opener for Luis Garcia in Saturday's 4-3 friendly win over Olympiacos, and he said: "My first taste of playing for Liverpool on Saturday was great, it was only for one half but I was pleased with what I did and I had a hand in our first goal.
"There are a few good strikers here, but if you are competing in the Champions League then you know you are going to be up against some top quality strikers just to get a game.
"I think we need four good strikers, hopefully including myself, and I have not been given any idea whether I will be playing against Kaunas. All I can do is give everything in training and do as well as you can and hopefully it will be all right."
