Peter Crouch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Peter Crouch

Crouch playing for Stoke City in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Peter James Crouch
Date of birth	(1981-01-30) 30 January 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Macclesfield, England
Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1991–1993	Brentford
1994–1995	Queens Park Rangers
1995–1998	Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2000	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
2000	→ Dulwich Hamlet (loan)	6	(1)
2000	→ IFK Hässleholm (loan)	8	(3)
2000–2001	Queens Park Rangers	42	(10)
2001–2002	Portsmouth	37	(18)
2002–2004	Aston Villa	37	(6)
2003	→ Norwich City (loan)	15	(4)
2004–2005	Southampton	27	(12)
2005–2008	Liverpool	85	(22)
2008–2009	Portsmouth	38	(11)
2009–2011	Tottenham Hotspur	73	(12)
2011–2019	Stoke City	225	(46)
2019	Burnley	6	(0)
Total		599	(145)
International career
2002–2003	England U21	6	(1)
2006	England B	1	(0)
2005–2010	England	42	(22)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Peter James Crouch (born on 30 January 1981) is a former English football player. He was a striker known for his height and skill. Peter played 42 games for the England national team from 2005 to 2010. He scored 22 goals for his country and played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Crouch is one of only 33 players to score 100 or more goals in the Premier League. He also holds the record for the most headed goals in Premier League history. Even though he was very tall, he was known for his good ball control and ability to hold up the ball for his teammates.

Peter Crouch started his career at Tottenham Hotspur. He then played for many clubs, including Queens Park Rangers and Portsmouth. He joined Liverpool in 2005 and had great success. With Liverpool, he won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield in 2006. He also reached the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final.

After scoring 42 goals for Liverpool, he returned to Portsmouth. Later, he went back to Tottenham Hotspur. He scored a very important goal for Tottenham against Manchester City. This goal helped his team get a spot in the UEFA Champions League. In 2011, he joined Stoke City for a club record fee. He played for Stoke for seven and a half years, scoring 62 goals. Peter Crouch retired from football in July 2019.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Peter Crouch was born in Macclesfield, England. His family moved to Singapore when he was one year old. They lived there for three years before moving back to England. They settled in Harrow on the Hill.

Peter started playing football with a local team called Northolt Hotspurs. In 1991, he was invited to join the Brentford Centre of Excellence. He also played for a boys' club called West Middlesex Colts. He later joined Queens Park Rangers in 1994. In November 1994, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur to join their youth team.

Peter's family supported Chelsea. He even worked as a ball boy at Stamford Bridge when he was ten.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out: Tottenham and Loans

Peter Crouch signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1998. He played for their youth team but did not play for the main team. Instead, he was loaned out to other clubs. He played briefly for Dulwich Hamlet in England. In the summer of 2000, he played for IFK Hässleholm in Sweden.

QPR and Portsmouth Success

In July 2000, Tottenham sold Crouch to Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He quickly made an impact, scoring ten goals in his first season. However, QPR was relegated to a lower division.

Because of this, QPR had to sell some of their best players. Portsmouth bought Crouch for £1.5 million. He had a great first season at Portsmouth, scoring 18 goals in 37 games. His manager, Graham Rix, believed he had a bright future.

Aston Villa and Norwich Loan

In March 2002, Premier League club Aston Villa bought Crouch for £5 million. He scored in his first home game for Villa against Newcastle United. However, he found it hard to get a regular spot in the team.

To get more playing time, he was loaned to Norwich City from September to December 2003. He played 15 games for Norwich and scored four goals. This helped Norwich get promoted. His time at Norwich made other clubs interested in him again. After returning to Aston Villa, he scored some important goals. In July 2004, Villa sold Crouch to Southampton.

Southampton and England Call-Up

At Southampton, Crouch became a key player, especially after Harry Redknapp became manager. He scored many important goals in Southampton's fight against relegation. This included goals against Liverpool and Arsenal. He also scored a winning penalty against his former club, Portsmouth, in the FA Cup.

His excellent form led to his first call-up to the England squad. After scoring 16 goals in 33 games, Southampton was relegated from the Premier League. In July 2005, Liverpool bought Crouch for £7 million.

Liverpool: Winning Trophies

Crouch with Liverpool in 2006

When Peter first joined Liverpool, he faced a lot of pressure because he didn't score for his first 19 games. People talked about his "good touch for a big man." The fans even made a new song for him: "He's big, he's red, his feet stick out the bed, Peter Crouch, Peter Crouch."

His first goal finally came on 3 December 2005 against Wigan Athletic. He went on to score many goals that season. This included the only goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup. On 13 May, he helped Liverpool win the 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham United.

Crouch warming up for Liverpool in 2007

Three months later, he scored the winning goal for Liverpool against Chelsea in the FA Community Shield. In February 2007, he broke his nose playing against Sheffield United. After surgery, he returned on 31 March and scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) for a club. This was against Arsenal in a 4–1 win. It was a "perfect hat-trick" because he scored with his right foot, left foot, and head. He also played in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, where Liverpool lost to Milan. He finished the 2006–07 season as Liverpool's top scorer with 18 goals.

In the 2007–08 season, he had fewer chances to play because new strikers like Fernando Torres arrived. However, he still scored important goals in the UEFA Champions League.

Return to Portsmouth and Tottenham

Crouch playing for Portsmouth in 2008

On 7 July 2008, Peter Crouch rejoined Portsmouth in a deal worth up to £11 million. He scored his first goal back at Portsmouth against Everton. He also scored twice in a UEFA Cup match against Vitória de Guimarães, helping Portsmouth reach the group stages. He played 46 games for Portsmouth that season, scoring 16 goals.

Crouch playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2011

On 27 July 2009, Tottenham Hotspur signed Crouch again for £10 million. He scored his first goal for Spurs in a League Cup game. On 23 September, he scored his first hat-trick for Tottenham against Preston North End. In May, he scored a crucial late goal against Manchester City. This goal helped Spurs get into the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

On 25 August 2010, Crouch scored another hat-trick against Young Boys to help Tottenham reach the group stage of the Champions League. He scored the winning goal against Milan in the Champions League second round. However, he was sent off in the quarter-finals against Real Madrid. He also scored an own goal against Manchester City, which meant Tottenham finished fifth in the league.

Stoke City: A Long Stay

Crouch warming up for Stoke City in 2012

On 31 August 2011, Stoke City signed Crouch from Tottenham for a club record fee of £10 million. He made his debut for Stoke in a 1–0 win against his old club, Liverpool. He scored his first goal for Stoke against Manchester United. This meant he had scored for six different Premier League clubs.

On 2 January 2012, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Blackburn. This was a big moment for Crouch as he reached over 100 league goals. On 24 March 2012, he scored an amazing long-distance volley against Manchester City. He said it was the best goal of his career. At the end of the season, Crouch won Stoke's Player of the Year and Goal of the Season awards.

He started the 2012–13 season well, scoring five goals in seven games. He lost several teeth after an accidental kick to the mouth in a game against Newcastle. He finished the season with eight goals.

Under new manager Mark Hughes, Crouch continued to play an important role. He was Stoke's top scorer in the 2013–14 season with ten goals. In October 2014, Crouch said he wanted to stay at Stoke for the rest of his career. On 28 February 2015, he scored the winning goal against Hull City. This goal equaled Alan Shearer's record of 46 headed goals in the Premier League. He broke this record on 24 May with another header against Liverpool. He signed a new contract in January 2015.

Crouch scored a hat-trick in the EFL Cup against Stevenage in August 2016. On 9 January 2017, he signed another contract with Stoke. He scored his 100th Premier League goal in 2017, becoming the oldest player to reach this milestone. He played 29 games in 2016–17, scoring ten goals.

On 20 November 2017, Crouch set a new record for the most appearances as a substitute in the Premier League. He came off the bench for the 143rd time, breaking Shola Ameobi's record. He also became Stoke City's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer. Crouch played 34 games in 2017–18, scoring six goals, but Stoke was relegated.

Burnley and Retirement

Crouch joined Burnley on 31 January 2019. He made his debut on 2 February, coming on as a substitute against Southampton. He helped Burnley get a penalty right away. He was released at the end of the season and announced his retirement from professional football on 12 July 2019, at the age of 38.

International Career for England

Youth Teams

Peter Crouch played for the England under-20 team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was also part of the England under-21 team that went to the European Under-21 Championship in 2002.

Joining the Senior Team

In May 2005, England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson called Crouch up to the senior squad for the first time. He made his debut against Colombia. He scored his first goal for England on 1 March 2006, in a friendly win against Uruguay.

In May 2006, Crouch was chosen for the 23-man England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On 30 May, he scored in a friendly against Hungary. After his goal, he did his famous robotic dancing goal celebration. On 3 June, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 friendly win against Jamaica, and he did the robot dance again.

2006 World Cup Journey

Crouch (wearing No.21) lining up for England against Paraguay at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Crouch started England's first 2006 World Cup match against Paraguay. He kept his place for the next game against Trinidad and Tobago, where he scored his first competitive international goal. This goal caused some talk because replays showed him pulling a defender's hair.

Crouch was rested for the third group match. However, he came on as a substitute when Michael Owen got injured. England was eventually knocked out by Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Euro 2008 and Beyond

Crouch continued to be part of the England team under new manager Steve McClaren. He scored twice in McClaren's first game in charge against Greece. He scored two more goals against Andorra in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. He was England's top scorer in the qualifying campaign with five goals.

Under manager Fabio Capello, Crouch scored England's first goal in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. He scored two goals against Belarus, bringing his total for England to 18 goals in just 17 starts. He scored two more goals against Egypt in a friendly.

2010 World Cup and Retirement from Internationals

Crouch was part of Capello's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He came on as a substitute in England's opening matches. England was knocked out by Germany in the last-16.

After the 2010 World Cup, Crouch scored in a friendly against France in November 2010. He later said in October 2011 that he didn't expect to be called up for England again. In September 2017, he mentioned in an interview that he had not officially retired from international football.

Player Profile and Style

How Peter Played

Peter Crouch was a very tall forward with a slim build. He was known for his excellent first touch and his ability to score goals. He often played as a target man, meaning he would hold up the ball with his back to the goal. This allowed his teammates to join the attack.

Even though he was tall, some people thought he wasn't great at heading the ball when he was younger. However, he later became famous for his heading ability. He holds the record for the most headed goals in Premier League history. He was also known for scoring amazing acrobatic goals, like bicycle kicks. Crouch has said that his success came from his hard work and determination.

Nicknames and Robot Dance

Peter Crouch was often called "Crouchy." Other nicknames included "RoboCrouch" and "Crouchinho." The "Crouchinho" nickname was a funny way to use the "-inho" ending, which means "little" in Portuguese and is used for many Brazilian footballers.

In 2006, Crouch started doing a robotic dancing goal celebration. He first did it after scoring for England against Hungary. He did it again after scoring against Jamaica. The dance became very popular.

Crouch later said he would only do the robot dance again if England won the World Cup. He stopped doing it for a while, but he brought it back for a special occasion. On 1 February 2017, he did the robot dance one last time to celebrate his 100th Premier League goal.

Life After Football

After retiring from football in 2019, Peter Crouch started a new career in television. He worked on a BBC One TV show called Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer. In 2022, he became a judge on the TV series The Masked Dancer.

Crouch also released his autobiography in 2007, called Walking Tall – My Story. His second book, How to be a Footballer, came out in 2018. He also has a popular podcast called That Peter Crouch Podcast.

Personal Life

Peter Crouch met model Abbey Clancy in December 2005. They got married on 30 June 2011. They have two daughters, Sophia Ruby (born 2011) and Liberty Rose (born 2015). They also have two sons, Johnny (born 2018) and Jack (born 2019).

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances and Goals

Crouch training with England in 2007

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Crouch goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	1 March 2006	Anfield, Liverpool, England	5	Uruguay	1–1	2–1	Friendly
2	30 May 2006	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	6	Hungary	3–1	3–1	Friendly
3	3 June 2006	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	7	Jamaica	3–0	6–0	Friendly
4					5–0
5					6–0
6	15 June 2006	Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany	9	Trinidad and Tobago	1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup
7	16 August 2006	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	12	Greece	3–0	4–0	Friendly
8					4–0
9	2 September 2006	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	13	Andorra	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
10					5–0
11	6 September 2006	Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia	14	Macedonia	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
12	6 June 2007	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	19	Estonia	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
13	16 November 2007	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	23	Austria	1–0	1–0	Friendly
14	21 November 2007	Wembley Stadium, London, England	24	Croatia	2–2	2–3	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
15	1 April 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	33	Ukraine	1–0	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	10 June 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	34	Andorra	6–0	6–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	14 October 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	35	Belarus	1–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
18					3–0
19	3 March 2010	Wembley Stadium, London, England	37	Egypt	1–1	3–1	Friendly
20					3–1
21	24 May 2010	Wembley Stadium, London, England	38	Mexico	2–0	3–1	Friendly
22	17 November 2010	Wembley Stadium, London, England	42	France	1–2	1–2	Friendly

Awards and Honours

Norwich City

• Football League First Division: 2003–04 (This means they won the league title)

Liverpool

• FA Cup: 2005–06 (A major English football trophy)
• FA Community Shield: 2006 (A match played between the FA Cup winners and Premier League champions)
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2006–07 (Reached the final of Europe's biggest club competition)
• FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005 (Reached the final of a global club competition)

Individual Awards

• Queens Park Rangers Player of the Season: 2000–01
• Portsmouth Player of the Season: 2001–02
• Stoke City Player of the Year: 2011–12
• Stoke City Goal of the Season: 2011–12

See also

In Spanish: Peter Crouch para niños