By Mark Heys
September 29 2006

Sam Allardyce has admitted that he tried to sign giant England forward Peter Crouch on three seperate occasions over the last five years. Allardyce's Bolton team come face to face with the 6ft 7" tall forward when they face Liverpool at the Reebok Stadium tommorow lunchtime and the Wanderers boss still rues missing out on signing the player even now.

Back in the 2000-2001 season Crouch was a relative unknown playing for Queens Park Rangers in the old Division 1, but his performance against the Trotters, and Colin Hendry in particular, gave Allardyce much food for thought.

Eventually the Macclesfield-born player made the move to Portsmouth and then Aston Villa with Big Sam missing out on his signature on each occasion. In the 2004 close season Villa made Crouch available for £2 million but once again Bolton where pipped to the post by Southampton.

Saints ended their long tenure in the Premiership in the summer of 2005 and inevitably one of their best strikers Crouch was set to be sold back to a top flight club.

Allardyce tried once more but Crouch had his heart set on a move to Liverpool where he has since performed to an excellent standard and broken into the English national team.

The Bolton manager still respects Crouch and was in awe of the player after he scored a superb acrobatic effort against Turkish side Galatasary on Wednesday night.

"I am still kicking myself at missing out on Crouch even now, especially when you consider the goal he scored last night (on Wednesday against Galatasary)," said Allardyce.

"I have been a great admirer of him ever since he gave Colin Hendry such a tough time all those years ago.

"I went after him then, but could not persuade the club to do it. I went after him when he left Aston Villa and also went after him when he was going to leave Southampton, although by then, he was out of our reach really."