Benitez: Crouch not for sale
Crouch is expected to start on the bench in Sunday's clash with Bolton at Anfield
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Friday, 30, Nov 2007 09:29
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has warned Manchester City that Peter Crouch is not for sale.
City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has revealed that manager Sven Goran Eriksson is a huge fan of the lanky striker.
Crouch has been used mostly as a substitute by Benitez this season with Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres his preferred strike force.
But the Spaniard insists he will not sell Crouch, 26, in the January transfer window.
"The players in a top side know sometimes they will not play every game but you can see how important Peter Crouch is for us," Benitez said.
"The other day he was a key player with Harry Kewell [against Porto] and we do not want to do any movement.
"We want to enjoy and see Crouchy score a lot of goals. Always you know Peter in every training session is a very good professional.
"He is always ready if he must play and if he is not playing he is working hard to be ready for the next time."
Eriksson selected Crouch as one of his four strikers when he was England boss in the 2006 World Cup.
But Crouch, who scored in the 4-1 win over Porto on Wednesday, insists he is happy to fight for his place at Anfield.
"Playing in a Uefa Champions League match with an atmosphere like that it would be hard to leave and go somewhere without that," Crouch told the BBC.
"At Anfield on a European night, there's no bigger stage. Playing for Liverpool is something you dream of as a kid and I'm doing it now.
"We're challenging for things domestically and I'm playing with some fantastic players.
"I love being where I am and it would be a really sorry day to actually leave the club so I'll do everything in my power to stay where I am."