Stoke city goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has said that his club teammate Peter Crouch should be recalled by the England national team ahead of the World Cup 2014. Crouch is one of the few strikers, who has an imperious record for the national team. He has scored a goal every other game, but it has not exactly endeared himself to the managers who have taken over the national team. He has been consistently overlooked in recent years, but the Stoke striker has not been concerned about the lack of a call up to the national team.

The arrival of Mark Hughes has the manager signalled a change in the era for Stoke. They were expected to play a much more attractive brand of football, which would even get the best out of Crouch since the tall striker is also adept at playing on the ground. Crouch has been one of the ever present players for Stoke this season. He have scored only seven goals in 29 league matches for the club, but his overall style of play helps the club sustain their position in the league.

The 33-year-old is coming to the end of his career, and if selected, the World Cup could be his last major tournament. He has 22 goals in 42 appearances for the national team.

“I can’t recommend Peter Crouch highly enough. I’ve played with him for a few years at Stoke, and before that at Portsmouth. He offers you something different. There are not many strikers like him around the world, it will be very difficult for defences to handle him. His goal record speaks for itself, especially at international level. He can make a big difference,” said Begovic, who himself has been linked with a move away from the club after a string of excellent performances.