Peter Crouch Opens Up About His Dark Times & Crying Himself To Sleep | E196

I've seen things that I'd never seen before. You know, the proudest moment of my life has been taken away because of that.

Peter Crouch is netting again! Oh, that's sensational! Brilliant finish by Crouch! Crouch tries one ... oh!

I think people that know me would say I'm a nice guy, but on the pitch, I had to be a different person if I wanted to succeed. The top-level players that I've played with, Lampard, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, I think look like they don't enjoy it. They are constantly battling for the next thing.

Were they intense?

So intense, yeah. And, you know, a big reason why I'm the person I am. I played for England in an era where it felt like there was a huge pressure. You know, we had an opportunity to win World Cups, and because we didn't, it was heaped on players. I've got my mom, my dad, and friends in the crowd, and then you come on and get booed by 70,000. It's, it's hard to come back from that. My mom was crying. My dad had to have a fight. I was thinking about giving up football. I think I wasn't seen as what an England striker should look like. I was so scared. I would ... just wanted to hide away.

In that phase, you were turning to drink more than you should have been.

Well, I needed to at that time. You're not seen as people. It's like, you're well paid, so you have to endure this abuse. You know, you put yourself in a position to be shot at. But like, what I've seen with certainly Harry Maguire, the criticism goes beyond criticism. It's gone too far.

The reaction says it all.

I'm so proud to represent my country, but ...

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Um, well, right at the start, I suppose. I think it's, everything comes from, um, your childhood, right? Um, I am who I am, and shaped by my, by my parents and my friends. Uh, and I suppose people see me now obviously, like I had a determination to be a footballer, a huge determination to be a footballer. Uh, and then people see me now, um, as a footballer who has a laugh, I suppose. And that is my persona, um, and ... but that stems from, from my childhood really, and being a little bit different, looking a little bit different, and having a, maybe a defense mechanism. Um, and that humor or ... probably that you see, uh, which is me now, um, yeah, was a little bit of a defense mechanism. When someone came at me, I'd always be funnier than they would be. And then that stops whoever's saying it in their tracks, you know? And then that, being so tall at such a young age was, was difficult at times. But that kind of defense mechanism was, I'll laugh at myself before you can laugh at me, and that w- that stood me in good stead. And, and even now, that's, you know, that's the way I get through things.