Peter Crouch has revealed what he thinks is the one change that Liverpool needed to make if they were to win the 2007 Champions League final.
Liverpool reached the showpiece fixture in 2007 and were confronted by the same foe they beat two years previously in perhaps the greatest club fixture of all time, dubbed ‘The Miracle of Istanbul’.
Following that memorable night in Europe, Crouch was signed by Rafa Benitez’s side and brought to Anfield from Southampton, with the Reds recently crowned kings of Europe.
After a trying start to his Anfield career, Crouch quickly became a key part of the side trying to repeat the feat in 2007, but was inexplicably dropped from the starting XI for the final, despite starting every match of the tournament previously.
As such, it perhaps came as no surprise as the rangy striker admitted it was the one moment he would change from his life.
Peter Crouch was left out of the starting XI for Liverpool’s 2007 Champions League final clash with AC Milan
The Reds were ultimately beaten 2-1 by the Rossoneri who avenged the famous final of 2005
Crouch had started every other game in the competition as the Reds beat the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea on the way to the final
Your browser does not support iframes.
Crouch, who features in Paddy Power’s new ‘Life with More Chances’ TV ad, spoke exclusively with the Daily Mail, saying: ‘If I could change any moment in my life it would probably be a football related one.
‘There will always be the games that got away in any footballers career, but for me it was the Champions League Final in 2007 with Liverpool against AC Milan.
‘If I could replay one game it would probably be that [one] because we lost. I’d be sitting in front of you today as a Champions League winner instead of a Champions League finalist.
‘I played every game up until the final, and then I didn’t start. So I’d start the game and we’d have won the game. That is what I would change.’
The Reds were ultimately unable to repeat their stunning comeback from two years before, and fell to a 2-1 defeat thanks to Filippo Inzaghi’s brace, with Dirk Kuyt’s 89th minute strike unable to spark an equaliser.
Crouch would spend one more season at Liverpool after the heartbreaking final, leaving for Portsmouth for £11million, before spells at Tottenham (2009-11), Stoke (2011-19) and Burnley, where he finally retired at 38 in 2019.
But the Champions League final in 2007 was not the only game that he admitted he would like to have a second go at.
‘Probably England vs Portugal in the World Cup quarter final in 2006. Wayne Rooney got sent off,’ he added.
Crouch came off the bench in the 78th minute of the clash in Athens but could not inspire a win
England were beaten 3-1 on penalties by Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals
Wayne Rooney was shown red for a challenge on Ricardo Carvalho leaving the Three Lions down to 10
‘I’d probably replay that as well, because I think if we’d replayed that we’d win and you never know what we could have achieved.’
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side – inspired by a young Wayne Rooney – were beaten in the last-eight in Germany, who was shown a red for a foul on Ricardo Carvalho, which was perhaps more famous for Cristiano Ronaldo’s pantomime wink at the camera.
After a 0-0 tie at the end of normal time, the game went to penalties only for Ricardo to pull off several memorable saves, denying England a place in the semi-finals.
It is regarded as one of the last great chances for England’s ‘Golden Generation’ to win a trophy, with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Joe Cole, Rooney, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand all at the peak of their powers.