Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard shared the Anfield pitch on Saturday as the pair starred for a Liverpool legends team in a 2-0 victory over Chelsea.
Gerrard started the match while Crouch came on at halftime when the score was level at 0-0, and the former Reds striker scored both of the home team’s goals within 20 minutes of coming on.
Crouch’s first goal was a brilliant header that landed in the top corner, while his second was equally impressive, as he looped an impudent dink over the top of the Chelsea goalkeeper and into the net.
Ahead of the game, Crouch had shared a picture of his and Gerrard’s game jerseys in the Liverpool dressing room alongside the caption: “Gonna have to carry him again aren’t I?”
While clearly a joke, Crouch of course turned out to be Liverpool’s most important player on the day, netting the two strikes that secured victory.
Speaking after the game, Crouch told LFCTV: “It’s quite emotional really because I never thought I would come back here in a playing capacity. To play in the game, first and foremost was amazing, great for the foundation, and to score a couple of goals in front of my family and friends it was amazing.
“To play with the likes of Stevie again, just is fantastic for me. My little boy has never seen me kick a football before… I think he thought I was lying about it! But yeah, great day, great for the foundation.”
Gerrard added: “We were trying to get him the third [for a hattrick], everyone was running out of energy getting tired, but he changed the game. I think we played well but we just needed a bit of magic and inspiration from the side, and the big man came on and provided it.”
Crouch pulled out his trademark robot celebration after opening the scoring and said: “So many kids on the way here asked me to do the robot and I was like, ‘I’d rather have not to be honest!’ but it was for the kids [and the foundation].”
