Stead offers support to Crouch

Under-pressure Liverpool striker Peter Crouch needs to look no further than Sunderland’s Jonathan Stead for reassurances as he struggles to open his goalscoring account for his new club.

Just as Crouch is under pressure to justify his £7m (€10.2m) move from Southampton, Stead has found the going even tougher since Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy parted with £1.9m (€2.8m), almost half his meagre transfer kitty, on the England U21 international.