Peter Crouch's greatest Champions League XI ever is full of legends

GiveMeSport

·9 May 2022

Peter Crouch's greatest Champions League XI ever is full of legends

Throughout his career, Peter Crouch came up against and played alongside some of the best footballers to ever play the game. Whether it was with Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, he had some incredible moments in the Champions League. That's why he was a natural choice to name his 'immortals' of stars that graced the Champions League as BT Sport looked back at the best players to grace the competition across its history.

Crouch had experience dealing with some of the biggest stars in the tournament, and to say the team he ultimately selected was pretty impressive would be a massive understatement. Without further ado, here's Crouch's XI of the greatest Champions League players ever.

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Manuel Neuer

Goalkeeper

In goal, Crouch picked Manuel Neuer. The Bayern Munich man has been a force to be reckoned with throughout his illustrious career at the Allianz Arena, so it's no surprise to see one of the best goalkeepers ever earn a spot here. He's won numerous trophies throughout his career, with Germany at the World Cup, Bundesliga titles with Bayern and, of course, the Champions League too.

"This is a tough one, I've changed a couple of times. I initially went for Gianluigi Buffon, but I've gone with Neuer. With Neuer, you've got absolutely everything. Someone as commanding, as big, as confident, his positioning... I feel like he's the best goalkeeper."

Cafu

Right-back

Next up is one of the greatest right-backs in the history of football. Can't really complain too much about this inclusion as Cafu was a superstar throughout his career, causing problems for everyone he ever faced off against on the football pitch. He won a couple of World Cups and a Champions League during his career, as well as numerous other bits of silverware. Crouch, who came up against Cafu during their playing days, is a big fan.

Roberto Carlos

Left-back

Few defenders are quite as iconic as Roberto Carlos. Whether it was for Real Madrid or Brazil, he was dynamite on the left-hand side and there are few full-backs in history that are quite on the same level as he was during his career. Not only did he have an absolute wand of a left foot who could score free-kicks at will, but he was a sublime defender who was always capable of standing up to the task of taking on any forward. Crouch was very impressed with the star, picking him over his fellow Englishman, Ashley Cole.

"I can't go for Marcelo, he got me sent off at the Bernabeu! Roberto Carlos is the man I'm going for. "Defensively, not as good as Cafu. Offensively, absolutely unbelievable. The free-kicks were an added bonus. The ones he scored were absolutely incredible. "Just a talent. Something different to what we see in this country. It's difficult to leave Ashley Cole out but Carlos gets it for me."

Sergio Ramos

Centre-back

During his time at Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos was as good as any centre-back has ever been in football. His ferociousness at the back made him an incredible asset to Los Blancos as they went on an incredible run in the Champions League throughout the 2010s. There's no way they win the competition in four out of five seasons.

He might be 37 nowadays, but he's still competing at an insanely high level, turning out for Sevilla in La Liga this season and he's still a vital figure for his team. That peak, though, was about as good as it gets.

Paolo Maldini

Centre-back

Younger fans might not recognise just how good Paolo Maldini was during his career, but for the old guard, there was no one quite like him. An absolutely incredible leader, he made defending look effortless during his career and whether it was in the heart of the backline, or out on the left, he was regularly one of the best players on any pitch he played on.

His discipline and mind for the game made him a phenom and so tough to get the better of, something of which Crouch knows all about having come up against Maldini during his playing days.

Xavi

Defensive midfielder

While his time as Barcelona manager hasn't been all that successful, the same certainly can't be said about his days turning out for the Catalan giants on the pitch. In the middle of the park, Xavi was on another level than anyone else. The passes he could make, the vision that he had, it's not something you can teach.

He made everyone around him better and was such a key asset to Barcelona throughout his time playing at Camp Nou. What a talent. It would have been more surprising if Crouch hadn't included him here. His partnership with the next man on this list was the stuff of legend.

"You could not get near him. You'd get tight to him, it's one-touch around you. Stand off him, he's picking 60/70 yard passes and dictating things. Very rarely gave the ball away and played in the best Barcelona team we've ever seen."

Andres Iniesta

Centre-midfielder

Playing alongside Xavi at Barcelona and for the Spanish national team, Andres Iniesta was a machine in midfield. His ability to dance through the heart of the pitch and effortlessly evade his opponents made him a nightmare to deal with. His knack for scoring goals in the most important of moments is something that made him a guaranteed name on the teamsheet for whoever he played for.

Iniesta had a fantastic impact in the Champions League, so it's no surprise to see Crouch recognise his brilliance here and include him in his lineup. Few could do it quite like the Spaniard and the fact he failed to win a Ballon d'Or is simply unbelievable.

Steven Gerrard

Centre-midfielder

Next up we have the first player that Crouch actually played alongside in Steven Gerrard. There's not much we can say about the former Liverpool man that hasn't already been said. He's a hero to the Reds in Merseyside, one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, and was both a terrific leader and a machine for the club.

His ability to drag his team to success when they ultimately looked like they weren't going to make it made him an icon and whether it was scoring absolute crackers from distance, or putting in a crunching tackle to stop a fast-break, he could do it all. He also spearheaded one of the greatest comebacks in football history to win the Champions League, so that alone should be enough to earn him a spot here.

"I had the privilege to play with him at Liverpool and England as well. He was incredible in the tackle. I remember him when he was 16/17, I played against him at Spurs lodge. He crunched into this tackle on me on the edge of our box, ran the pitch and hit this shot against the crossbar, the hardest shot I've ever seen. He made his debut shortly after that. "He played off the right and won PFA Player of the Year. He could do anything. He could pass, head, tackle... He won games on his own. He was an absolute genius. An amazing player and a great character. The influence on me was so big. I found myself trying to impress Stevie more than Rafael Benitez! I worked every day to impress him."

Zinedine Zidane

Attacking-midfielder

Zinedine Zidane. A man whose legacy as a manager would have been enough to surpass his playing career if he was just about anyone else. He wasn't, though, and he was one of the most incredible footballers to ever grace a football pitch. The Frenchman was unstoppable throughout his playing days.

Whether it was for France, Juventus or Real Madrid he just had a natural ability to take over games when he needed to and was unsolvable for his opponents. He won numerous accolades throughout the years, and wouldn't stop doing so when he hung his boots up, taking charge of Los Blancos and guiding them to a handful of Champions League trophies. Just a natural-born winner no matter the role. Crouch is a big fan.

Lionel Messi

Forward

If anyone was a nailed-on inclusion in this team, it has to be the greatest player of all time, right? Even if you're of the persuasion that Lionel Messi isn't the best player in the history of football, it's hard to deny that he walks into the best Champions League XI with relative ease and Crouch agrees with that notion.

Whether it was winning the tournament with Barcelona on a couple of occasions, or just tearing teams apart with his sheer skill, there has never been a player quite like the Argentine and there likely never will be again.

"Lionel Messi picks himself. For me, he's the best that's ever lived. As a footballer, as a technician, as someone who goes past you and excites you and scores the goals that he's done, there's no one better."

Cristiano Ronaldo

Forward

If you don't think Messi is the greatest football ever, you likely think it's this man, Cristiano Ronaldo and you'd have a good case. The GOAT debate tends to consist of the two stars going head-to-head and Crouch has his own very controversial opinion on the subject. Regardless of whether you think he's the best or not, there's no doubt Ronaldo earns a spot in this team. No matter where he's gone, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, or even Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, the Portuguese star has never had trouble finding the back of the net at an astonishing rate.

His role in the Real Madrid sides that dominated the Champions League during the 2010s cannot be overstated. He rose to the occasion whenever he played in the European competition and actually got better whenever he came up against the biggest teams within it. Just an astonishing talent and Crouch agrees.