PETER CROUCH has been named as the landslide winner of the 2004-05 Saints player of the season award.

The 6ft 7in hitman won by one of the biggest majorities since the award was introduced in 1974 and will be presented with his trophy before tomorrow's St Mary's match with Manchester United.

Crouch, pictured, polled a massive 84.75 per cent of all the votes cast in the Daily Echo-run vote.

The 24-year-old comfortably beat last year's winner, Antti Niemi, into second place and Kevin Phillips into third.

They polled 4.66 per cent and 3.38 per cent of the vote respectively.

Crouch's achievements are all the more remarkable as he hardly played a game in the first half of the season.

But, since Harry Redknapp has taken over, the £2m man signed from Aston Villa last summer has become the focal point of the team and is currently the club's 16-goal top scorer this season.

Of those, all but one of them have come since Redknapp handed Crouch his first start in the manager's opening game in charge against Middlesbrough in December.

Crouch's form has also earned him a call-up to the England squad for their tour of the USA later this month.

Sadly, he can only watch from the stands tomorrow after being suspended for his red card offence against Crystal Palace last Saturday.

PAST WINNERS:

1973-74 Mick Channon; 74-75 Mel Blyth; 75-76 David Peach; 76-77 Steve Williams; 77-78 Alan Ball; 78-79 Malcolm Waldron; 79-80 Phil Boyer;

80-81 Ivan Golac; 81-82 Kevin Keegan;

82-83 Mark Wright; 83-84 David Arsmtrong; 84-85 Peter Shilton; 85-86 Peter Shilton; 86-87 Glenn Cockerill; 87-88 Derek Statham; 88-89 Jimmy Case; 89-90 Matt Le Tissier; 90-91 Alan Shearer; 91-92 Tim Flowers; 92-93 Tim Flowers; 93-94 Matt Le Tissier; 94-95 Matt Le Tissier; 95-96 Dave Beasant; 96-97 Egil Ostenstad; 97-98 Paul Jones; 98-99 James Beattie; 99-00 Dean Richards; 2000-01 Wayne Bridge;

01-02 Chris Marsden; 02-03 James Beattie; 03-04 Antti Niemi.