Peter Crouch reveals ‘smashing pints’ in pub helped him get over goal drought
Former Liverpool forward reveals how his dad helped him through a painful goal drought at the start of his Anfield career.
PETER CROUCH has revealed that smashing pints after games was the key to ending his painful goal drought at Liverpool.
After all - pubs and football go hand-in-hand right?
Stoke striker Crouch, 37, says his dad helped him regain his confidence after every goalless game by taking him to the pub.
After Southampton were relegated to the Championship in 2005 after 27 years in the Premier League, Crouch made his move from St Mary's to Liverpool for £7million.
Yet after his move he struggled to hit the back of the net.
The goal drought at Anfield lasted an incredible 1,229 minutes.
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Speaking to the Sunday Times magazine about his new book 'How to Be a Footballer', Crouch revealed: "It was a particularly dark time for me.
"I had to stop buying newspapers. Stop switching on the TV. No matter where I went, people were taking the p***."
Rather then practising more down his local park, Crouch's dad put together a plan that would block out the dark moments for his son and focus on the positives in life.
That involved unwinding ion the pub together after every goalless game.
Crouch continued: "We just smashed pints after games. Pints with my old man.
“It definitely helped. We’d go out and have a laugh and forget about it. And then by Sunday or Monday I’d be like, Oh f***, I still haven’t scored."
Ignor-clance is bliss
FOOTBALLER Peter Crouch says his wife Abbey Clancy rings him before games asking what he’s up to — as she is oblivious to what he does.
Abbey, 32, has been with Crouch for over 12 years and married for seven.
But she has no interest in football and put up a big screen in their garden during the World Cup to watch Love Island.
Peter, 37, is in charge of the pre-match music for motivating his Stoke teammates.
And he said: “My phone will start ringing and the music will stop playing and we’ll all just stand there waiting for Abbey to ring out. She still does that now.”
He also told The Times a look of disgust at traffic lights from Man United legend Roy Keane persuaded him to sell his almost brand-new Aston Martin.
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Soon enough Crouch broke his curse against Wigan on 3 December 2005 and went on on to score 42 goals in 134 appearances.
He is one of 28 players to have scored 100 or more Premier League goals and also holds the record for the most headed goals in Prem history.
Perhaps thank "smashing pints" in the pub and focusing on his next goal, the ex-England star is the fifth most expensive British footballer of all-time, in cumulative transfer fees.
Crouch remains at Stoke after they were relegated to the Championship last year despite interest from Chelsea early this year in the January window.