Newcastle United Football Club News

• Nickname:Magpies
• Founded:1881
• Manager:Alan Pardew

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Roeder cools Crouch talk

29 Dec 2006 - 10:28:09

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Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has played down reports suggesting he is close to finalising a deal to bring Liverpool striker Peter Crouch to St James' Park in a £12million deal.

Crouch has spent most of this month on the substitute's bench as Reds boss Rafa Benitez has turned to Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy as his first-choice strikeforce, fuelling speculation that the England international will leave Anfield in next month's transfer window.

But Roeder has cooled talk that Crouch is heading to Tyneside, saying: "Someone knows more than I do. As far as I'm concerned, there's not been a deal even spoken about.

"Secondly, I really hate managers talking about other managers' players. Peter Crouch is a Liverpool player and I don't think Rafael Benitez would appreciate me talking about Peter Crouch when he's not a Newcastle player.

"At this moment in time, it's pure speculation and I'd be surprised if he ended up becoming a Newcastle player.

"I said a month ago when I was asked, he's very talented and certainly deserves his place in the England team, in my opinion. But anything outside that would be unfair to Liverpool and the manager there."