'I was a head on a stick': Crouch felt 'degraded' in final season

Inclined England striker Peter Crouch says he felt “degraded” right through his finest season as a participant when he became “a head on a stick”.

Crouch, 38, retired in July after 21 years as a well informed, scoring 108 high-flight targets and winning 42 caps.

“I felt bodily fit whereas masses of avid gamers appropriate can no longer poke any extra. I felt cherish I will also raise out one other season fitness-clever,” said Crouch.

“[But] I felt cherish I modified into as soon as turning into the stereotype I always tried to steer sure of.”

Talking in episode thought to be one of season three of That Peter Crouch Podcast, he added: “In the closing 10-15 minutes, we are launching it up to me. I am flicking it on, nicking a neutral right here and there. I knew I will also accept as true with done it for perchance two extra seasons, nonetheless I felt degraded by it.

“I literally became a head on a stick. I felt I modified into as soon as a little of greater than that.”

• Hear to the novel sequence of That Peter Crouch Podcast by strategy ofBBC Soundsand BBC Radio 5 Live

Inclined Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Stoke striker Crouch, whose contract came to an discontinue at Burnley in June, opens up in the podcast about the struggles of retirement.

Crouch discusses how predominant it’s a long way to accept as true with non-public targets and explains how things can turn into complicated for ex-footballers in another case.

He said: “I know some chums of mine [who have retired from professional football] got in a extraordinarily, truly darkish jam – waking up and no longer having any proper neutral, splitting up with their other halves, no longer having a job, no longer having any proper money coming in and going from a hero to normally a nobody. It happens cherish that.

“I will stare why folks lose it to drink and playing because there could be no commence. It’ll even be complicated. I perceive how lucky I am to accept as true with these things to withhold me busy, in another case I’d be losing it as successfully.”

‘No doubt a mission for retired avid gamers’

Podcast regulars Chris Stark and Tom Fordyce also return and Crouch is requested whether or no longer there could be an absence of reinforce for avid gamers when they retire, what he misses most in soccer and why he owes plenty to Clarets boss Sean Dyche.

“There’s positively a mission – there is no longer always truly ample abet for avid gamers,” he said. “I am lucky. I had provides to head straight into TV. However even then, I had no coaching or something else.

“Without warning I’m sitting there and somebody gave me an earpiece and an autocue. I did no longer accept as true with a clue what I modified into as soon as about to raise out. No one had ever set something else in my ear assorted than a cotton bud.

“I omit the day to day of soccer. I omit going in and belly laughing each day alongside with your mates, kicking the ball about, getting a sweat on, having a spacious lunch and going dwelling. Or no longer it’s a spacious job.

“[Dyche] has a sophisticated exterior, nonetheless I’ve learned him to be the kind of high man. I aloof consult with him now because I shared something with him. I modified into as soon as going through a sophisticated time with the retirement and he modified into as soon as top quality with me.

“I will no longer thank him ample.”