Crouch is key man now - Peacock

By Phil Gordos

Peter Crouch outjumps Diego Godin to score against Uruguay

Peter Crouch is being tipped to play a leading role for England in the World Cup if fellow striker Wayne Rooney fails to recover from a broken foot.

Gavin Peacock, who played with Crouch at QPR, thinks his former team-mate could prove to be a big hit in Germany.

"Crouch is becoming a big player for England now," Peacock told BBC Sport.

"He's not an out-an-out goalscorer, as we all know, but he can hold the ball up and bring people in. What he needs to work on is his heading at goal."

Crouch, 25, has been much-maligned in his career to date and was jeered by England fans during the World Cup qualifier against Poland last October.

But he was named in Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad on Monday - one of four strikers alongside Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and 17-year-old Theo Walcott - with Jermain Defoe and Andy Johnson on standby.

Crouch silenced some of his critics by scoring and setting up the winner for Joe Cole in the 2-1 victory over Uruguay in March.

And the 6ft 7in frontman, who played for QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton before his £7m move to Liverpool in July 2005, has his supporters, notably Peacock.

I can see one option being Crouch up front on his own... but if Michael Owen is fit then I'd play Owen and Crouch up front Gavin Peacock

"He's a good player," said the former Chelsea and Newcastle midfielder.

"I played him with him at QPR early in his career and remember my first training session with him.

"I suddenly saw this tall bloke who was wafer thin.

"But Gerry Francis, who had him at Tottenham and knew all about him, told me he had great feet. He could certainly do stuff with the ball that I couldn't do."

Peacock says Crouch could play either a lone role up front for England or alongside Michael Owen if he is fit.

"I can see one option being Crouch up front on his own," explained Peacock.

"I'd play Ledley King in front of the back four with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard just in front of him and David Beckham and Joe Cole on the flanks.

"That would give Lampard and Gerrard, who have both got close to 20 goals this season, the freedom to link up with Crouch when we were going forward.

If I was him I would be out there for 30 minutes every day getting someone to cross the ball and practising my heading Gavin Peacock

"But if Michael Owen is fit then I'd play Owen and Crouch up front. Owen needs someone alongside him, someone to hold the ball up."

Crouch has scored 12 times for Liverpool this season and found the net once in three games for England.

But Peacock feels there is more to come from the Macclesfield-born forward, especially if he works on his heading.

"If I was him I would be out there for 30 minutes every day getting someone to cross the ball and practising my heading," said Peacock. "That would make a real difference."