Liverpool Football Club News

• Nickname:Reds
• Founded:1892
• Manager:Kenny Dalglish

• Ground:Anfield
• Capacity:45,362

Rafa confident Crouch will stay

07 Apr 2008 - 12:21:28

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez remains confident that unsettled striker Peter Crouch will pen a new contract with the club.

The England international is unhappy with his lack of first-team opportunities this term, with his appearance against Arsenal on Saturday being only his seventh Premier League start of the season.

"Peter Crouch is a very good professional," Benitez told the Reds' official website. "That is the reason why we offered him a new contract.

"I have confidence he will sign. The player wants to. At the moment, we are playing with only one striker, but we can play with two. It is not a problem.

"If you are in a team which wins trophies, it is good if you know you can be an important part of that squad.

"I know he is happy here and that he wants to play. But that is football. We have offered the contract and we need to wait."

Crouch had earlier said: "I'd love to stay, it's a fantastic club and I love everything about it.

"But I've got to be realistic. If I want to have any aspirations of playing for England, or furthering my career, then I have to be playing.

"But I'll have to look at it at the end of the season. Now I'm concentrating on winning something for Liverpool and playing some part in the end of the season.

"We've got a Champions League run-in and it's exciting for us, and all my efforts are focused on that."