Top 50 Peter Crouch Quotes

You should never get ahead of yourself car-wise; no Merc when you’re still in the youth team, no Porsche unless you’re a Premier League regular.

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough: that’s what everyone says. When a talented young player emerges, his age doesn’t matter; people want to see him in the team. So why, when you become older, is the assumption that you are no longer good enough?

Everyone that I have taken the mick out of, or told a story about, is someone I know properly or someone who has been a team-mate, and I know can take it. I am not stitching anyone up.

I am very proud of my goal record for England.

When I was young, I always enjoyed watching skilful players and trying to emulate them the same as everyone else.

There’s no hiding place for someone of my size.

In my early years, I wanted to be like Paul Gascoigne.

I was a million miles from being a Premier League player. You see some people, at 18 they are ready. At 21, I wasn’t. Physically nowhere near.

The kit man is the heartbeat of the football club, really. He knows the lads. He’s usually local, a fan, and he’s got his finger on the pulse of the dressing room.

I had Fleetwood Mac on, and Saido Berahino asked me if it was from a movie soundtrack.

I wouldn’t want to get my pigeon chest out in front of anyone. I don’t think the world needs it. I’d probably get a yellow card anyway.

I’ll be walking down the street with a mate, and someone will stop and say ‘All right Crouchy, how’s things?’ and so on. Once they’re gone, the person I’m with will say ‘Do you know them?’ and I’ll say ‘I’ve never met them before in my life’. Happens all the time.

In this age of social media, it is easy to punch out a phrase ‘thoughts are with the family’ when something bad occurs, and at times, it is insincere.

It was only when I got to Tottenham as a youth player that they said, ‘You need to be good in the air.’ It was made clear I was going be a target man, so I had to start working on my technique.

Heading is a skill, and it would be a shame to lose that from the game. There is nothing more dramatic than when you see someone score a diving header, for instance.

I’d like to think I’m an approachable fella, and if someone wants me to pose for a picture, I’ll always say ‘yes’ even when I’m with my family.

I can keep the ball and pass it, and I’ve always felt comfortable with the ball at my feet.

I think it’s helped me that I’ve always been very grounded, very down to earth. Lots of my friends are people I’ve known from school, and when I’m away from football, they’re the ones who I knock about with.

I made so many mistakes when I was younger.

I don’t know why, but if I was walking down the street, the same people who called me freak would probably ask for a picture. It’s a real strange thing.

I’d hate to be the sort of player who people just regard as being tall and only good for winning headers.

Looking around at the faces of the home support at Gillingham, the irony was never lost on me that these people had the cheek to call me a ‘freak.’ Perhaps they should have taken a look at themselves first.

I have really got into watching the unsigned bands. They play mad venues like the Sugarmill in Stoke and all sorts of underground, grimy places.

I did a paper round as a kid, but the early mornings were too much. My dad took it over, so I was getting paid 15 quid a week, but he was doing it!

I’ve always felt comfortable on the ball, and I don’t know why people are so surprised when you can control it well. It’s not a disability. It’s just that I’m a bit taller than everyone else.

The jokes about how I look have actually made me stronger.

During the Sir Alex Ferguson years, you would see all those great players – Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name just a few – and you’d quickly realise why Old Trafford had an aura like nowhere else.

If you’re different in any way at school,then you’re going to get a bit of abuse. You learn to deal with it in a way where people don’t come back at you again.

It’s nice when you can enjoy yourself and make people smile.

So many kids want to be football players, and to still feel like I’m living the dream at 37 is amazing.

I’ve always been the tallest; I didn’t shoot up. That’s who I am.

If I played badly as a kid, my dad would tell me, and my mum would say, ‘You were brilliant today’. It’s nice to have both: when I need a bit of confidence, I’ll see her, and if I need to hear it straight, I’ll see my dad.

Tiger Woods and Roger Federer: those two are born winners.

I’ve always felt that, when I play, I have never let anybody down.

I’m very aware that you lead a very peculiar existence as a professional footballer, being flown everywhere first-class and never having to queue up for anything. Of course, that’s attractive, but if you’re not careful, you end up living in a world where nothing is really real.

I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I play to them.

I didn’t come from a council estate like a lot of the lads do.

I enjoy being different.

I’ve got a good record, but maybe, for whatever reason, it’s not built up by people. I wouldn’t say I’m hard done by. But it’s true that I sometimes don’t get the praise.

The lowest period was when I was with Tottenham, and they loaned me out to Dulwich Hamlet.

I do a fantastic job for a living: I get to play in front of 90,000, and obviously, everyone knows your name and what have you. But I’m no better than anyone else.

Des Bulpin discovered me and, along with my dad, would be the biggest influence on my career. I remember him telling me when I was 15 that Jermain Defoe and I would play together for England when we were older, and he hasn’t been too far wrong.

A little voice keeps telling me an Aston Martin really isn’t me, but a louder voice is telling me that, as an England international playing for Liverpool, the old rules no longer apply.

I got booed by my own fans when I came on in my first game for England. You go through things that are ridiculous. But you get to the stage you realise everyone’s got an opinion.

I thrive on quick players getting to the byline and sending over crosses. I just have to be quick enough to get on the end of things. In that regard, my job has always been the same, but if we have more wide, quick players, that can only be good for me.

I’ve played for England; I’ve been lucky enough to do this for a long time. So why can’t you do it with a smile on your face?

Mark Hughes played until he was nearly 40 at a decent level, and I think I can do the same.

I feel proud I was part of the old school and still around in the new school.

I don’t know why, but playing for England, I always feel I am going to score.

The death of Cyrille Regis, a giant in so many ways, was such a shock and deeply upsetting.