Peter Crouch In Training
Peter Crouch, who began his professional career with Tottenham, has made a return to the club almost nine years after being sold to Queens Park Rangers. Crouch joins Spurs from Portsmouth for a fee belived to be in the range of ?9million.
Crouch, who is the tallest outfield player in the Premiership, has now become the most expensive English striker of all time with combined transfer fees of ?35million paid for him over his career. Clubs to splash out on the striker include Southampton, Aston Villa and Liverpool, aswell as his time with QPR and Portsmouth.
Not only is he rejoining the club but he is also rejoining manager Harry Redknapp and striker Jermain Defoe with whom Crouch forged a successful partnership for Portsmouth, scoring 11 goals in 38 Premiership appearances last season.
Crouch is happy to be returning although there aren’t many faces that remain from his previous time in North London.
“I was only a young kid when I was here before and a long way from the player I am now.?I think Ledley is the only player still here from when I was here before. I’m looking forward to seeing him again because I’ve always kept in touch with him all those years.?I remember watching the likes of Ginola, Anderton, Sheringham and Ferdinand every week on the terraces with Ledley and it’s great to finally be getting the chance to play for this Club.”
Harry Redknapp was extremely happy with the signing saying “He’s a big lad, he holds the ball up well, he brings other players into the game and naturally with his size he’s always a threat in the air.?He will be a big, big player for us, a terrific signing.?I know what he’s all about and as well as everything going forward, he can also make a difference when we’re defending set-pieces.”
I actually think Crouch will be a great signing for us. Say what you like about him, he certainly isn’t the prettiest footballer in the world, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself.
I look forward to him and Defoe linking back up but I also think there could be some potential in a Crouch/Pavlyuchenko partnership. There would be a lack of pace admittedly but Crouch would give Pav a targetman to play off, too often I think we play Pav as a targetman and it is a role which does not suit him.