No. 21 — SAMMY CROOKS
— Alex James | 17/01/1931 —

Sammy Crooks, the Derby County and England outside-right, is one of the neatest and most graceful players in the game. This, I think, is the first impression he will create. Watch him throughout a match, and his fine all-round talents will be marked.

I have a lively recollection of Crooks at Wembley a year ago in the Anglo-Scottish match. It so happened that day that I was at inside-right and I did not come directly into conflict with him, but, in partnership with David Jack, Crooks gave a brilliant display and won for himself a place in the top class of wing men.

Crooks has every qualification for his part, excellent pace, fine ball control, ability to beat an opponent by many ways, of which the body swerve is a notable one, and good shot. Given the opportunity, he has only to strike his average form to be a success.

The other day I was discussing wing forwards and one player was very highly commended. It was pointed out, however, that to all intents and purposes he was a one-footed player. To my astonishment an old international declared that the best outside-left he had ever seen could not use his right foot.

THE USE OF BOTH FEET.

I do not see how this could be. To be a complete footballer you must, in my opinion, be able to use both feet, otherwise the "swinger," as we call a weak leg, is bound to let you down when you require its use. It is true that some players get on remarkably well with one foot, but in my judgment they can never be classed among the great men of the game.

You never see Crooks at a loss as to how to deal with the ball, come to him as it may. From one of those across-the-field passes it often arrives with an awkward bounce, but it is very rare that Crooks is beaten even under these most unfavourable conditions. In fact, to see him kill the ball, take the pace off it without letting it out of his control is a treat. A ball may come hard to him, but if he can get his foot to it he will bring it down and be off in a twinkling.

By his expert touch Crooks is always saving time. He gains those few seconds which enable him to start before an opponent can get close enough in to be sure of making a tackle, and this perhaps more than anything else distinguishes the great player from the merely good one.

INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.

Another manner in which Crooks differs from many wing men is that a defender can never be sure which way he will go, whether inside or outside. He simply chooses the route which gives him the best chance to be successful, and he is equally good along. the one as the other.

In some aspects Crooks reminds me of Morton, but he has been brought up in the modern school, and he has attuned his game to present-day conditions. By this I mean that he has a full appreciation of the value of cutting-in towards goal instead of making for the corner and putting the ball across as in the older style.

At the same time, I think he might improve his game if he would pay more attention to the ball when it is on the other side. He is a quick-thinking player, as all his actions. denote, but he might, it seems to me, exercise his power of anticipation more by moving into the middle to meet the ball when itcomes across.

I do not say this by way of criticism, but it has always seemed to me that wing-forwards have great chances at these times, especially when they can shoot as well as Crooks. Much depends, of course, on the style in which a team play.

Crooks is very young. He is only on the threshold of his career. With ordinary luck he ought to play for many years more, and I believe he has the ability to get many of the honours of the game.