Tottenham Hotspur striker Peter Crouch will be wearing the England number nine shirt at the World Cup in South Africa. Having scored 21 goals in 38 appearances, Crouch looks a worthy successor to previous wearers of the England number nine shirt; an illustrious list that includes Wayne Rooney, Nat Lofthouse and Bobby Charlton.
Bobby Charlton is probably the player who first comes to mind when thinking of past England number nines. The midfielder was an integral part of Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, playing in all 6 of England’s matches scoring 3 goals along the way. Charlton remains England’s record goal scorer, with 49 goals in 106 appearances – including, of course, that thunderbolt strike against Mexico at the 1966 World Cup.
Although less well-remembered, Nat Lofthouse’s goal scoring record for England is truly remarkable. England’s number nine during the 1954 finals in Switzerland, only Jimmy Greaves has come close to matching Lofthouse’s strike rate, which saw him score 30 times in 33 appearances.
Four years ago, Sven Goran Eriksson named talismanic striker Wayne Rooney as England’s number nine for the tournament. The United forward would probably be the first to admit that, after breaking a metatarsal shortly before the start of England’s World Cup campaign, he achieved less than expected in Germany – something he will no doubt be keen to put right this time around.
Crouch opened his World Cup account by grabbing the crucial winner in England’s group game against Trinidad and Tobago. Footballers and football supporters are notoriously superstitious, but few would read much into the fact that England’s number nine has failed to score at the last two World Cups. Given Crouch’s impressive record at international level, not many would bet against him adding to his tally if given the chance by England manager Fabio Capello.
Tags: Bobby Charlton, Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney