Tottenham have got to secure another Champions League adventure – Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch

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Peter Crouch is desperate for Tottenham to return to the Champions League, having got a taste of the tournament last season.

Spurs finished in the top four of the Premier League in 2009-10 – dramatically beating rivals Manchester City 1-0 at Eastlands through a Crouch goal in their penultimate match to clinch fourth place – and were rewarded with a spot in the third and final qualifying round of Europe’s elite competition.

And having navigated their way past Young Boys, the north London outfit duly took their place in the group stage and saw off defending champions Inter, Werder Bremen and FC Twente to set up a clash against AC Milan in the first knockout round of the tournament.

Harry Redknapp’s men overcame the San Siro giants to lock horns with Real Madrid, but crashed out of the competition 5-0 on aggregate.

It had been an exhilarating first Champions League campaign, and Spurs were keen to repeat the adventure as quickly as possible. But they were unable to finish in the top four of the Premier League last season, and so missed out on brushing shoulders with Europe’s elite next term.

“We enjoyed every minute and it’s a shame we didn’t qualify again,” Crouch told The News of the World.

“We held our own against the best teams in the world and proved we can mix it among the elite.

“That’s the benchmark and we’ve got to do it again.”