Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is changing the game – Crouch

That’s according to Stoke City striker Peter Crouch.

Crouch has singled out the pair due to the workrate they both put in when playing.

Firmino has bagged 13 Premier League goals this season, but it’s his work when defending that has impressed former England striker Crouch.

And it’s the same case for Son, who netted in Tottenham’s Champions League defeat at the hands of Juventus this week.

Writing in his Daily Mail column, Crouch said: “Football has altered dramatically due to the relentless workrate of men such as Firmino and Son Heung-min of Tottenham, who is one of the top players in the League. He would improve any of the best teams.

“These are forwards who won’t stop. Look at Firmino. He is a top goalscorer, but the thing that blows me away is what happens when he loses the ball. Straight away he’s on his feet and gets it back. He must be an absolute nightmare for defenders to handle.

“It says everything about how much he runs that he’s covered 165 miles in the Premier League this season.

“It’s the same with Son (129 miles), who is so underrated. He shouldn’t be because he’s every bit as important to Tottenham as Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.

“They are part of a new breed of footballers who are changing expectations.”

Liverpool will need all of Firmino’s talents as they travel to Old Trafford on Saturday to take on Manchester United.

Liverpool sit third, two points behind United, ahead of the clash.

And it’s a game Crouch can’t wait for.

He added: “It is a game like no other, the frenzy and the intensity in the stands makes it feel different to anything else. I just wish Saturday afternoon’s clash at Old Trafford was a title decider.

“It is the biggest game in English football, the two most successful clubs of all time putting everything on the line. They both had spells in the doldrums, but it is getting back to being the standards it should be.”