BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX © All written site content is copyright ComeOnBoro.com 2004-2007, unless otherwise stated, and is not to be used without prior permission.	ENGLAND v MACEDONIA - SHERINGHAM BACKS 'UNGAINLY' CROUCH Teddy Sheringham hailed Peter Crouch as a "fantastic player" and then drew an unlikely comparison - with England legend Chris Waddle. The similarities are not obvious. Waddle was a tricky winger, Crouch a towering front man stuck with the tag of having "a nice touch for a big man". Crouch has scored 11 goals in 14 games for England, all of them this year, but he remains under scrutiny. Critics claim he is unproven at the highest level because his goals have come against the likes of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Andorra. But Crouch is compiling more and more evidence in his favour - not least a stunning volley for Liverpool against Galatasaray in the Champions League. He will start for England against Macedonia tomorrow having scored the winner in Skopje a month ago. And Sheringham urged those who are still uncertain to look beyond the style and appreciate the substance - just as they did with Waddle. "Peter Crouch is a fantastic player. The only problem with him is that he looks ungainly," Sheringham told PA Sport. "Chris Waddle was also a fantastic player and full-backs couldn't get near him but because he walked a bit ungainly, with hunched shoulders, he didn't look a natural athlete. "But that goal Crouch scored was magic. If Robbie Fowler had scored it it would have been all over the newspapers for weeks. "If Thierry Henry had scored it it would be goal of the season. "But Peter Crouch is beginning to win people over. The fans are looking deeper into it." Sheringham could have been playing alongside Crouch for West Ham if Pardew had not had a £6million offer rejected by Southampton in the summer of 2005. He sees Crouch as being a key figure in a bright future for England. "With Terry Venables back involved and Steve McLaren's knowledge of the players and his coaching I think it is a fantastic pairing," said Sheringham. "They are getting results and I am very optimistic about the future." With Premiership action on hold, Sheringham has enjoyed his break by competing in the 888.com UK Poker Open. The tournament will be televised on Challenge every weeknight from mid-October to mid-November. By Bettingzone.co.uk Used with permission. SEND THIS TO A FRIEND ENGLAND v MACEDONIA MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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