Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981) is an English international footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. At 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m),[1] he is the tallest man ever to play for the England national team, and was the tallest outfield player in the Premier League until Stefan Maierhofer signed for Wolves in August 2009. Beginning his career as a trainee with Tottenham, Crouch has played for five Premier League clubs — Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Southampton and Liverpool — since the beginning of his career in 1998, before returning to Tottenham in 2009.[2] Having represented England at under 21 level, he was called for the first time to the senior side in 2005 by Sven-Göran Eriksson, and played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Crouch continued to be selected by subsequent England managers Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello. In 2006–07, he was the second top scorer in the UEFA Champions League behind Kaká.

Club career

[edit]Early life

Crouch was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, but his family moved to Singapore when he was one year old, where they stayed for three years before returning to Great Britain and settling in London. A keen footballer from an early age, he became a ball boy at the age of ten.[3] As a child, he attended some Chelsea games.[4] Later, he told the Liverpool official website that despite this, he and his friends at the time were fans of Queens Park Rangers.[5]

After attending Drayton Manor High School in Hanwell, Crouch signed a professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur on 2 July 1998, after having played for their youth side.[6] However, he did not make any appearances for their first team and was loaned out to other clubs, having brief spells at Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League and, in the summer of 2000, IFK Hässleholm in Sweden.[7]

[edit]QPR and Portsmouth

On 28 July 2000, Tottenham sold Crouch to Queens Park Rangers (QPR) for £60,000.[6] He made an immediate impression with QPR, scoring ten league goals in the 2000–01 season, but it was not enough to prevent the team's relegation to Division 2 (now Football League One).

Relegation meant that QPR had to sell many of their best players to support their diminished finances, and Portsmouth bought Crouch from them for £1.25 million. Crouch scored 18 league goals in 37 starts for Portsmouth — benefiting from the crossing of Robert Prosinečki — and that in a side that for much of the season looked destined for mid-table mediocrity.

[edit]Aston Villa

In March 2002, FA Premier League side Aston Villa made a successful £5 million bid for Crouch. He scored on his home debut for Villa, the equalising goal against Newcastle United, and managed to net twice in seven games. However, Crouch failed to hold down a regular place in the Aston Villa side in the following 2002–03 season.

Looking for first team football, he was loaned to Norwich City from September to December 2003. Although he scored only four times in 15 appearances, he was highly impressive and remains popular with Norwich City supporters. So popular, in fact, he had a song made up about him ("He's tall, he's lean, he's a freaky goal machine").[8] Crouch was sent off for retaliation during Norwich's 3–1 win at Walsall, but nonetheless his spell at Norwich renewed interest in his abilities from other clubs. At the end of the three-month loan he returned to Aston Villa, and scored a brace against Leicester City, a late winner at Middlesbrough and the opener at Bolton. Norwich City recognised his contribution to the 2003–04 season that saw them win the First Division Championship by awarding him a championship medal. He was presented with the medal on the pitch prior to City's match against his new club Southampton at Carrow Road in November 2004. When he came on as substitute for Southampton later that afternoon, he received a very good reception from the home crowd.

Villa sold Crouch in July 2004 to Southampton for a fee of £2.5 million. Crouch signed a four-year deal with Southampton. He scored just six goals in 37 Premiership games for Aston Villa.

[edit]Southampton

Despite initially being back-up to first choice strikers James Beattie and Kevin Phillips, Harry Redknapp's arrival and the sale of Beattie saw Crouch become the main attacking focus of the Southampton team. He scored many key goals in Southampton's relegation battle, including memorable goals against Liverpool in a 2–0 home win, Arsenal in a 1–1 home draw and 2 away to Middlesbrough in a 3–1 victory. He also scored a late winning penalty to knock former club and Saints' arch-rival Portsmouth out of the FA Cup. His form for the Saints eventually resulted in him receiving his first England call up. After scoring 16 goals in 33 appearances during the 2004–05 season, his future was cast into doubt when Southampton were relegated from the English Premiership. On 19 July 2005, Southampton agreed to sell Crouch for £7 million to Liverpool, on a four-year contract.

[edit]Liverpool

Crouch underwent intense media scrutiny due to a goal drought during his first months at Liverpool. For 19 games, spanning four months, he was unable to score. Crouch was praised for other facets of his game, such as his touch on the ball, but his first goal for the club evaded him. The fact that Crouch possessed "good touch for a big man" in fact became something of a media cliché during this time.[9] Early in his Liverpool career the supporters composed a new chant; "He's big, he's red, his feet stick out the bed, Peter Crouch, Peter Crouch."[10]

The drought finally ended on 3 December 2005 when he scored against Wigan Athletic. Although this first goal was originally given as an own goal, it was later awarded to Crouch on appeal; he went on to score a second goal in the same game.[11] Prior to these goals, Crouch had played over 24 hours of football for Liverpool without scoring. In addition to this, he also had to deal with unpleasant taunts from crowds at matches, as he had throughout his footballing career, who often chanted "freak" at him due to his unusual height.[12]

He went on to score several goals that season, including the only goal in the fifth round of the FA Cup (2005–06) against Manchester United, Liverpool's first victory over them in the FA Cup post-World War II.[13] On 13 May, he helped Liverpool to win the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham, providing a crucial assist for Steven Gerrard to score the second Liverpool goal.[14]

Three months later, in the curtain-raiser to the 2006–07 season, he headed the winning goal for Liverpool in the club's 2–1 victory over Chelsea in the FA Community Shield.[15] In their 2006–07 UEFA Champions League campaign he scored his first goals in European club competition. On 13 January 2007, he scored two goals in an away game against Watford, the first time he had scored twice in an away league game for Liverpool. Crouch sustained a broken nose when playing against Sheffield United in February 2007.[16] Although he played in some subsequent games, on 9 March 2007 it was announced that he would undergo surgery on the injury which would keep him out of football for a month. On 31 March, he returned to action after the operation and scored the first hat-trick of his club career, against Arsenal in a 4–1 Liverpool victory.[17] This was also a so-called "Perfect Hat-Trick", consisting of goals scored from his right foot, left foot and head.[18]

He later participated in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, coming on as a substitute for Javier Mascherano.[19] He ended the 2006–07 season as Liverpool's top goalscorer in all competitions, with eighteen goals.[20] At the start of the 2007–08 season he had restricted opportunities to play for Liverpool due to the arrival of other strikers, but scored against Toulouse in a Champions League qualifying win in August, his eighth goal in his past ten appearances in that competition,[21] and then also scoring the first and last goals of an 8–0 win over Beşiktaş in the first round of the Champions League in November.[22] This match is now the highest margin by which a team has won in the Champions League. In April, he scored a vital goal in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal, helping Liverpool maintain fourth spot against rivals Everton.

[edit]Return to Portsmouth

Crouch was holding talks with Sunderland discussing a move to the club but on 7 July 2008, after weeks of speculation, it was announced that Crouch had verbally agreed to join former club and FA Cup holders Portsmouth in a deal estimated to be worth up to £11 million. Crouch passed his medical the following day[23] and, on 11 July, Crouch's transfer was officially unveiled at a Portsmouth news conference.[24] Portsmouth paid £9 million up front, with up to £2m to be added dependent on various targets being reached. He was given the number 9 shirt by manager Harry Redknapp, which he had previously worn during his first spell at the club. On 30 August 2008 Crouch scored his first goal since his return to Portsmouth in his third Premiership appearance, against Everton at Goodison Park.[25] As with his first score for Liverpool there was a degree of uncertainty as to whether he would be credited with the goal as it appeared Jermain Defoe's chip had crossed the goal-line before Crouch scored from the follow-up. On 3 September it was confirmed that the goal would be officially credited to Crouch and not Defoe. Crouch then went on to net his first goal at Portsmouth's Fratton Park home ground in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur on 28 September.[26]

On 2 October 2008 Crouch scored twice in extra time in a UEFA Cup match away to Vitória Guimarães to help Portsmouth reach the group stages of the competition.[27] He went on to score twice against SC Heerenveen in a 3–0 victory at Fratton Park.[28]

[edit]Return to Tottenham Hotspur

On 27 July 2009, Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Crouch from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be in the region of £10 million.[29] Crouch made his debut for Spurs in a pre-season friendly against Olympiakos,[30] and came on as a substitute in Tottenham's season opening win over Liverpool, making his full Premier League debut for the club in the process.[31] He scored his first goal for Spurs in the Carling Cup tie against Doncaster in a 5–1 win on 26 August 2009.[32] He scored again in his next game, opening his league account with Spurs with a goal in a 2–1 home win against Birmingham City.[33] On 23 September, Crouch scored his first hat-trick for Spurs in a 5–1 win over Preston in the Carling Cup.[34][35] In May, his late goal against Manchester City in what was being dubbed as the "£15 million pound game" put Spurs in a position to claim their first-ever UEFA Champions League berth. After having hit the post and missed an Assou-Ekotto cross, Crouch scored a header after Márton Fülöp could only parry the ball into his path.[36]

On 25 August 2010, he scored a hat-trick at White Hart Lane against Young Boys to help Tottenham to reach the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League.[37]

[edit]International career

[edit]Youth international

Crouch was capped for the England Under-20 team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, with team-mates including Stuart Taylor, Ashley Cole, Andrew Johnson and Matthew Etherington. However, the team finished bottom at the group stage, with three losses and having scored no goals. He was later a part of David Platt's England Under-21 team, which went to the finals of the European Under–21 Championship in Switzerland in May 2002, where he scored once.

[edit]Breakthrough into senior team

Crouch training for England prior to a match in 2007.

In May 2005 he was handed his first call-up to the England senior squad by manager Sven-Göran Eriksson for the team's tour of the United States, making his debut against Colombia.[38] He went on to make two appearances during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign for England: starting against Austria in a 1–0 victory and coming on as a substitute against Poland in a 2–1 win. In the latter appearance, Crouch's introduction as a second-half substitute was booed by England's own supporters.[39]

On 1 March 2006 he scored his first goal for England, the equaliser in a 2–1 friendly win over Uruguay.[40] He did this whilst bizarrely wearing two different squad numbers on his shirt — #21 on the front (his designated squad number for the match), and the incorrect #12 on the back.[41]

In May 2006 Crouch was included in the 23-man England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and was expected to be a significant figure in the team due to Wayne Rooney's foot injury. On 30 May he played in a pre-World Cup friendly against Hungary, scoring the third goal in England's 3–1 win. He followed his goal with an unusual robotic dancing-style goal celebration — see below. On 3 June he again played for England in a pre-World Cup friendly against Jamaica, scoring a hat-trick. Between his second and third goals he took a penalty kick hoping to gain a hat-trick, but he put the ball over the bar. England went on to win 6–0, Crouch securing his hat-trick in the 89th minute with a fine finish — his fifth goal in three England games.

[edit]World Cup 2006

After his displays in England's friendlies, Crouch partnered Michael Owen in attack for England's opening 2006 FIFA World Cup game against Paraguay on 10 June 2006. England won the game 1–0 and Crouch kept his place in the starting line-up for the following match against Trinidad and Tobago, against whom he scored his first competitive international goal. The goal provoked some controversy as replays showed Crouch to be pulling on Brent Sancho's long hair, holding the defender down, to gain an advantage.[42]

Crouch was rested for England's third group game against Sweden as Rooney returned from injury to join the starting line-up. However, Michael Owen suffered an injury in the opening minute of the game and Crouch replaced him, playing the remainder of the match.

In England's 1–0 second round victory against Ecuador, Crouch remained an unused substitute as Eriksson switched the team to a new formation with Wayne Rooney as a lone striker. However, after Rooney's dismissal for a foul in England's quarter-final against Portugal, Crouch came on as a substitute for Joe Cole.

The year after the tournament, retired English referee Graham Poll claimed that FIFA had specifically warned referees at the event to pay close attention to Crouch, claiming that "he's a real pain and he's getting away with too much."[43]

[edit]Euro 2008 qualifying

Crouch remained a part of the England set-up under Eriksson's successor as manager, Steve McClaren, and started McClaren's first game in charge, a friendly against Greece in August 2006. He scored twice in England's 4–0 victory. Two further goals followed in England's next match, a 5–0 win over Andorra in their opening qualifying match for the 2008 European Championships on 2 September 2006. These goals made Crouch the first player ever to reach ten goals for England within a single calendar year.[44]

He added a further goal to his tally with the winner in England's 1–0 qualifying victory away to Macedonia on 6 September. An operation needed for a nose injury he sustained playing for Liverpool prevented him from playing in England's two qualifying matches in March 2007.[45] He returned to the England squad for their games against Brazil and Estonia in late May and early June 2007, scoring in the qualifying game against the latter.[46]

Crouch was England's top scorer in the qualifying campaign with five goals, but this did not prevent England finishing only third in their group and failing to progress to the finals of the competition.

[edit]Capello era

On 1 April 2009, Crouch made his first start under McClaren's successor as England manager, Fabio Capello. He scored England's first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ukraine in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match.[47]

He was re-called to the England squad for the friendly against Slovenia and the World Cup qualifier versus Croatia, following his fine form for Tottenham.[48]

Crouch also got an early first half goal against Belarus in the final 2010 World Cup Qualifying match, which he then followed up with a second goal in the 74th minute.[49] This took Crouch's tally for England up to 18 goals in just 17 starts. Crouch scored a brace after coming on as a substitute against Egypt in a friendly on 3 March 2010 to take his overall international goal tally to 20.[50] He also scored the second goal for England against Mexico at Wembley on 24 May 2010. He was given the number 9 shirt for the 2010 World Cup.

[edit]Personality as a footballer

[edit]Nicknames

Although generally known as "Crouchy", other nicknames he has been given by fans and the media in England have included "RoboCrouch"[51] and "Crouchinho" (a parody of Ronaldinho), despite "Crouchinho" translating from Portuguese as "little Crouch".[52] He has been also referred to as "Mr. Roboto" by Univision's commentators and as "Pantera Rosa" ("Pink Panther") by Fox Sports en Español commentators.[53] Mark Lawrenson announced on Match of the Day that his nickname was "coathanger, apparently".[54]

[edit]Robotic dancing

In the summer of 2006, Crouch adopted a robotic dancing goal celebration. A parody of a dance he had been seen performing on a television programme covering a party held at England team-mate David Beckham's house, he first performed it after his goal for England against Hungary on 30 May. He again performed the dance after both of his first two goals against Jamaica on 3 June. The Daily Mirror newspaper claimed that the dance was inspired by the lyrics to the Arctic Monkeys' hit single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor".[55]

On 12 June, Crouch announced he would only perform his robotic dance again if England were to win the World Cup, saying "It's not about robotic dancing. It is about scoring goals and winning matches. It's an important time for everyone now".[56] In September 2006, he was quoted in The Observer newspaper as saying that: "It was funny at the time, but I didn't want to carry on doing it until it became unfunny. I've stopped doing it for the time being, but if I ever score a really big goal you never know."[57]

On 6 August 2007, Crouch insisted that he would never use the Robot dance again unless he scored in the UEFA Champions League Final. On 1 April 2009, however, Crouch partially reprised the celebration after scoring during England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine after a Comic Relief sketch.[58]

[edit]Personal life

Crouch had dated Abigail Clancy for a period before Crouch announced in 2007 that the two were not a couple. [59] Subsequently, Clancy and Crouch announced their engagement on 15 July 2009.[60]

Norwich City

Football League First Division champions: 2003–04

Liverpool

FA Cup winners: 2006

Community Shield winners: 2006

FIFA Club World Cup runners up: 2005

UEFA Champions League runners up: 2007