Gerrard is world's best - Crouch

England goal hero Peter Crouch has labelled Steven Gerrard the world's number one.

At Old Trafford on Saturday, the 26-year-old was an inspiring presence, biting into tackles, roaring forward with menace and producing a series of intelligent passes when he could have been forgiven for accepting the inevitability of a rare easy afternoon. But for Crouch, seeing Gerrard reach such standards is nothing new.

"Steven Gerrard has been the best player in the world for a long time," gushed Crouch. "I thought he was good when I first went to Liverpool but when you see him train, you realise he is even better."

He added: "You could play him in any position on the pitch, probably even goalkeeper, and he would still look good. He can do anything.

"It is an absolute pleasure to be in the same team as him. I know Rafael Benitez has said Steven can get even better. All I can say is if he does, it will be a pretty frightening sight."

Seemingly, it is not only on the field where Gerrard excels but off it too.

The choice of many fans to succeed Beckham as England skipper, only to be narrowly beaten to the job by John Terry, the Huyton-born star takes his responsibilities seriously.

In Crouch's case, it extended not just to throwing a comforting arm around his shoulder during his early struggles at Anfield, but also easing him into life at one of Europe's most demanding arenas.

"I do not have a bad word to say about Steven," said Crouch. "He is a top player and a top person. Right from the start, he went out of his way to help me settle in at Liverpool.

"He is the captain of our club and he does everything you would ask of someone in that position."