Peter Crouch: Super Striker

Peter Crouch is a cult hero to Liverpool and England fans alike, and known affectionately as Crouchie . His commanding height (6ft7) makes him the tallest outfielder in the Premiership, and his silky touch and eye for goal have made him one of the most distinctive and dangerous strikers in the game today. He began his career with QPR, before moving on to Portsmouth where his phenomenal strike rate inevitably led to the top Premiership clubs queuing up for his services. Crouch eventually signed for Aston Villa, but found himself unable to hold down a regular place in the team. Undaunted, he went out on loan to Norwich City, where he rediscovered his form before he was sold to Southampton. It was here that Crouch really began to prove his true worth as a Premiership striker, scoring a flurry of goals that almost saved the club from relegation. With his team relegated, however, he left to secure his dream move to Liverpool where he went on to make a telling contribution to Liverpool’s season, ending in him helping the club win the FA Cup. Crouchie has become a national icon too, scoring important goals for England and producing some excellent all-round performances at the World Cup. Nothing, however, has brought him the kind of media interest that his infamous ‘robot dance’ goal celebration has, which also helped make him a firm favourite with the fans. Peter Crouch, super striker, is a unique player and, unusually in today’s game, a bit of a character, fighting back from intense criticism in his career to being rewarded with national acclaim. This is his story.