Ashley Young is backing Aston Villa's bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

"I'd love to see him here because he's such a clever player," said the 22-year-old wideman after studying Crouch at close quarters as a member of the last two England squads.

"He's gangly and awkward-looking but he's got incredible feet and he knows where the goal is.

"It seems to be only talk but if he came here in the January transfer window it would be great because you can never have too many good strikers.

"We've got quick players like Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Moore but Crouchy is something different again."

Villa are poised to table a new club record £10million offer for Crouch, who has scored 12 goals in 22 for England, but has started just five games for the Reds this season and has been eclipsed by the Anfield arrivals of Fernando Torres and Andrei Voronin.