Crespo enjoys return to form

Hernan Crespo was so unhappy he almost quit soccer last year before a renaissance at AC Milan helped him win back his place as Argentina's top striker in the World Cup qualifiers.

Crespo, talking to reporters as Argentina prepared to meet Colombia in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, said he struggled with injury and a failure to settle in London when he joined Chelsea last season.

"That year and a half went very badly for me," Crespo said. "Starting a training session and having to leave it, practice fearful of a strain, play a match and then miss three...it's horrible.

"There's no doubt I thought about it [retiring]...but from there to actually doing it, well, it's very hard to let go of the toy," said the striker, who underwent knee surgery while at Inter Milan two years ago.

"After the injury at Inter I spent a year and a half of Calvary and I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel," said Crespo, who is still a Chelsea player although on loan to AC Milan.

"I felt bad and wasn't at ease with myself. I got the strength to carry on from those who believed in my recovery."

Crespo has returned to form under his former Parma coach Carlo Ancelotti at Milan, helping the Italian side reach the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Manchester United, who they eliminated with two goals by the Argentine.

He also rewarded the faith of Argentina coach Jose Pekerman with both goals in the 2-2 draw with Germany in a friendly international last month.

Crespo is Argentina's top scorer in the qualifiers as he was in the qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup where Gabriel Batistuta ended up being preferred as his country's central striker.

Batistuta has retired and Crespo is now gunning to lead Argentina's attack at the 2006 tournament in Germany. He also wants to stay at Milan.

"Today I'm happy because I got to where I wanted, to the point where Milan want to keep me," he said.

"I grew up hearing that when a team were good, people said they look like Milan, so, imagine, if I'm here I don't ever want to leave."