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Taking A Step Down To Step Up...

With Peter Crouch taking a theoretical step down in the hunt for first-team football, we take a look at some who have made the same decision in recent times. A warning for you Peter - not all have gone well.

Five Successes...

David Bentley
Given that he is currently spoiling for a big move, it seems a little odd including Bentley in this list. However, Bentley saw his path to first-team football blocked at Arsenal, and demanded a move away pronto. Loan spells at Norwich and Blackburn, then a permanent move to Ewood Park established Bentley as one of the brighter creative prospects in the land, and Rovers can expect a healthy profit on their relatively modest investment (around £3million) back in 2006 should he leave.

Phil Neville
The very definition of 'solid', the younger and more gormless Neville was never going to hold down a regular place at Manchester United, despite performing consistently when he did get a chance. The move to Everton therefore made perfect sense, and Neville has thrived as a steady and reassuring presence in either David Moyes' midfield or at right-back, becoming captain to boot.

Lassana Diarra
Diarra was so desperate to leave his club for first-team football that he had two cracks at it. Unfortunately for him, going from Chelsea to Arsenal was not a big enough step down to guarantee a weekly starting spot, so one more move was neccessary. After joining Portsmouth in January, Diarra proved why both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho thought he was worth having in the first place, and played a big role in their FA Cup win.

Chris Kirkland
If it wasn't for injuries, Kirkland's success story would be even greater. Actually, if it wasn't for injuries he might never have left Liverpool, but since his return to fitness at Wigan, Kirkland has finally started to deliver on his early promise, and is one of a few candidates to fill the England gloves once David James hangs up the afro.

Jermain Defoe
Portsmouth fans may take offence to the idea that Defoe took a step down when moving in January, given that Pompey were above Spurs in the table. However, had he been a regular at White Hart Lane, it's difficult to imagine him swapping Juande for 'Arry, but Defoe has thrived, scoring eight in 12. Who knows how many he'll score with Crouch alongside him...

...And Five Failures

Robbie Fowler
It's tricky not to have some degree of sympathy for Fowler. Pushed out of Liverpool by the emergence of new golden boy Michael Owen and a series of injuries, he gained the dubious honour of becoming the 'signing too far' for Leeds when they paid £11million for him in 2001. However, fitness issues limited him to 29 appearances in two years, and although a scoring record of 14 in that time is impressive, he has spent the intervening years looking like a man who used to be a footballer.

Geremi
Always described as an underrated and under-appreciated figure, Geremi's move to Newcastle last summer looked perfect. However, he didn't exactly thrive under the 'stewardship' of Sam Allardyce, and a disastrous season was saved - against all odds and indeed logic - by Kevin Keegan's arrival.

Scott Parker
A classic case of moving up too soon...who knows how Parker would have thrived if he'd stayed with Charlton? Having realised that he wouldn't get a look-in at Stamford Bridge roughly 18 months after the rest of us did, a spell with Newcastle was ruined by injury, and his reputation is further besmirched by his involvement in that England v Croatia game. Now can occasionally be seen at West Ham, the last refuge of the crocked and desperate.

Nicky Butt
Although Butt has recently come good, his move from Manchester United in 2004 did not begin well. His form in the opening season was so bad Graeme Souness bought Amdy Faye, and reached a nadir in the FA Cup semi-final against his former employers when he was booed off by his own fans. Actually, perhaps the nadir was being shipped out on loan to Birmingham shortly afterwards.

Robert Huth
If you listen to Jose Mourinho, Huth's sale to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2006 was one of the big reasons for Chelsea losing their Premier League title. Their lack of cover at the back was ruthlessly exposed by all and sundry, but had he been watching Boro in this time, Jose might not have been so sure Huth was the one that got away. Another whose time has been blighted by injury, Huth was comprehensively outshone by the impressive David Wheater last season.

Nick Miller