'Fratton Park was rocking' - ex-Portsmouth favourite recalls AC Milan's visit Fratton Park

Former Pompey favourite Peter Crouch has recalled the famous night that saw Fratton Park welcomed AC Milan in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage with glowing reviews.

Taking on ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’ the 43-year-old recounted the electric atmosphere in the PO7 stands as well as the near disaster that almost prevented Man of the Match Glen Johnson from featuring in the game at all. Football icons such as Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi, Kaka and Gennaro Gattuso were all in AC Milan’s starting line-up with Brazilian superstar Ronaldhino on the bench.

However, with goals from Younes Kaboul and Nwankwo Kanu, it was Pompey who were 2-0 up with just over 15 minutes to go. In the 84th minute, Ronaldinho scored from a free-kick before Inzaghi netted in added time to level the score.

Looking back on the event, however, the ex-Liverpool, Tottenham and England legend Crouch said: “Fratton Park was rocking! And just seeing those players like Ronaldinho, Kaka, walking around Fratton Park - do you know how tight it is in there! It was rocking - such a good atmosphere.

“I remember Glen Johnson turned up late for the game - he got stuck in traffic on the A3! He got Man of the Match. He was brilliant. He turned up, I reckon, 15 minutes before kick-off. He didn’t have any warm-up, went in, got changed, and was then our best player. Ronaldinho came off the bench and scored a free-kick (to make it) 2-2 but it was such a good experience.”

Crouch - whose second stint at Pompey lasted just one season before he returned to Spurs - was then asked by fellow podcast host Chris Stark what advice then-manager Tony Adams had given the team ahead of kick-off, to which he replied: “Well at first it was us rushing around going ‘where the f*** is Johno?!’. Kanu was brilliant that day as well. He played really well,” Crouch would go on to add.

While AC Milan would go on to the knockout stage, ultimately losing to Werder Bremen in the round of 32, Pompey finished their group fourth winning just one of their matches - a 3-0 victory over Heerenveen at Fratton Park.