Peter Crouch - Club before country.

By Mighty Reds
September 15 2005

Peter Crouch has responded to talk of an England call up by saying Liverpool are his number one priority. He said: "I'll have my own targets but I'll keep them to myself. I obviously want to establish myself as playing regularly at a great club like this

And maybe other ambitions will fall into place then"

"I'm not going to lie and say the finals are not something I've thought about and the result in Northern Ireland the other night might help my chances of getting to the World Cup this summer, but it's not my top priority.

"You don't get international recognition without doing the job at club level so, if I do make it back into the England set-up, I'll have to have done the business here at Liverpool."

Crouch won his one and only England cap against Columbia in the summer and he adds: "I think the manager (Eriksson) has said he wants a bigger man up front, there's a void to be filled there and I think I did reasonably well out in America. I think if you're playing well at a club like Liverpool you'll get a chance.

"The manager seemed to be positive in America, but obviously the club form is the key. I'd like to think I'd be the player that comes through over the next season. Obviously there are a lot of good strikers in the England side and I'd like to get in among them. Mr Eriksson was complimentary while I was away and so if all goes well hope-fully I'll be okay."