Peter James Crouch, (born January 30, 1981 in Macclesfield,
Cheshire), is an English international football player renowned
for his height (6' 7"/2.01 m), known simply as "Crouchy" to many
fans. He currently plays for English club Liverpool as a striker.
After failing to win a contract at Tottenham, he began his
professional football career with QPR and made an immediate
impression at Loftus Road, weighing in with a number of crucial
strikes. He netted ten League goals for QPR in the 2000/01
season. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to prevent relegation to
Division 2 (now Football League One).
Relegation meant that QPR had to cash in on their best players
and Portsmouth swooped to sign the talented youngster for �1.5
million.
Crouch was ordinary at Fratton Park but still managed to expose
defenders of ordinary ability. Netting 18 League goals in only
37 starts, and that in a side that for much of the season looked
destined to be in a relegation battle, was enough to have the
big clubs watching. He also earned a call up to the England U21
side.
In March 2002, FA Premier League side Aston Villa made a
successful bid of �5 million. Crouch scored on his home debut,
the equalising goal against Newcastle United, and would net
twice in seven games.
Crouch was also part of David Platt's England U21 side that went
to the European Under-21 Championships in Switzerland in May
2002.
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 - December 2003. Although he only scored four
times in 15 appearances, he was highly impressive.
At the end of the three-month loan, he returned to Villa Park
with renewed confidence - and would go on to score a brace
against Leicester City, a late winner at Middlesbrough and the
opener at Bolton.
Despite this, Villa cashed in the striker in July 2004, selling
him to Southampton for �2million. Crouch, who signed a four-year
deal at St Mary's, had scored just six goals in 37 Premiership
games for Aston Villa.
He made his Saints' debut in a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa. He
scored a controversial winning penalty against Portsmouth on
January 29, 2005 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
In May 2005, he was handed his first call-up to the England
squad by Sven Goran Eriksson for the team's tour of the United
States, making his debut against Colombia.
Despite scoring 16 goals in 24 appearances during the 2004/2005
season, his future was cast into doubt when his club,
Southampton, were relegated from the English Premiership. On
July 19, 2005, Southampton agreed to sell Crouch for �7 million
to Liverpool, on a four year contract. He is Liverpool's tallest
ever player.
He went on to make a further two appearances during the 2006
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 victory. In the latter appearance, Crouch's
introduction as a second-half substitute was roundly booed by
England's own supporters. Crouch underwent intense media
scrutiny for an unfortunate and uncharacteristic goal drought
which he embarked on upon arriving at Liverpool. For 19 games,
spanning 4 months, the �7m England striker was unable to get the
ball into the opposition goal. Crouch was praised for other
facets of his game, most notably that of having a very good
touch for such a big man, but that elusive first goal evaded
him.
The drought was finally ended on December 3, 2005 when he scored
against Wigan Athletic. Although this first goal was originally
cited as an own goal, it was later awarded to Crouch on appeal;
he went on to score a second goal in the same game, which
without doubt broke his Liverpool duck. Prior to these goals,
Crouch had played over 24 hours (87,540 seconds) of football
without scoring.
During Liverpool's trip to Japan for the Club World Championship
in December 2005, Peter added another two goals to his tally in
the semi-final between Liverpool and Deportivo Saprissa, with an
impressive volley and a well-composed finish under pressure from
a defender. He has expanded his goal account recently after
scoring against Newcastle. On 28 December 2005, his record for
Liverpool stood at 5 goals, including 3 league goals, after a
composed finish against Liverpool's derby rivals Everton. He
added yet another goal to his tally on the last day of 2005 with
a superb header which gave the West Bromwich keeper Tomasz
Kuszczak no chance. He also scored the only goal in the 5th
round of the FA cup (2005/6), against Manchester united.
Liverpool's first victory over them in the FA cup post-war.
On March 1, 2006 he scored his first England goal, the equaliser
in the 2-1 friendly win over Uruguay. 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.
He also scored twice during Liverpool's 7-0 thrashing of
Birmingham City on 21 March 2006, nodding in a Gerrard cross for
the first and a coolly-taken second, scored from 12 yards out.
Current Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez revealed that stats show
Crouch often covers more ground on the pitch in 90 minutes than
midfielder Stephen Gerrard.
He has two five-a-side football teams named after him that play
at Watford Powerleague, Dynamo Crouch and Atletico Crouch. |
