Crouch wants talks with Benitez

Peter Crouch would rather leave Liverpool than spend next season on the bench.

Crouch has been used as a regular substitute this season but he has only scored five Premier League goals.

Now he plans to confront manager Rafael Benitez to find out if he has a future at the club.

Crouch said: "When all is said and done, I don't think I can have another season like this year where I've started nine Premier League games. Out of a 38-game league season, nine games is not the amount you want to be playing.

"I'll have to speak to the manager and see what his plans are. I need to see him and sort things out. I have to find out what he wants from me next season and whether or not I can continue with that. In some ways, I want to feel wanted.

"So I'd like to speak to the manager and the club before I commit to anything and know whether or not I'll be here next year."

Benitez claims Crouch was offered a contract extension earlier this season, but the player insists they only had a "five-minute chat".

Crouch has denied having any contact with Portsmouth but does not think he will have much trouble finding another club if he decides to leave Anfield.

He said: "It's always nice to know that if things did go completely wrong for me at Liverpool, I'd have options to go somewhere else and it's not the end of the world if things don't work out for me there."

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