In modern-day football, fans are often surprised to hear when players talk about clubs that they hold the most dear to them. People forget top class players were also kids sitting in front of their television, rooting for their club as children.
While many supporters assume players remain loyal to their favourite childhood clubs forever, such is not the case for all of the players.
Long careers, intense transfer history,hostile crowds and emotional connections all play a factor for players to decide their favourite clubs.
Very few English players embody this journey more than Peter Crouch.
An extraordinary career spanning through legendary clubs like Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth F.C and Queens Park Rangers, Crouch has become one of the most recognisable strikers both of and in England.
Standing 6ft 7in tall, Crouch’s impeccable height has always been one of his most talked-about features.
His unique playing style, iconic robot dance celebration, and self-deprecating humour have made him one of the most beloved personalities in football both on and off the pitch.
But for long, fans have debated which club does Crouch really supports.
The conversation exploded online when photos of an old interview in 1995 recently surfaced showcasing Crouch as a hardcore Chelsea fan.
Fans were surprised seeing the unmistakable tall player and now in his early 40’s as a child, wearing a vintage Chelsea shirt.
Crouch was wearing Chelsea’s iconic 94/95 kit with the bold Umbro logo alongside the Commodore sponsor.
The shirt also carried the name of Ruud Gullit, whose arrival at Chelsea symbolised the club’s transformation into a more glamorous one and internationally recognised during the 90’s.
Many younger fans were stunned by the revelation, considering how strongly he has been associated with Liverpool and Tottenham in recent times.
The story behind his support for Chelsea goes way deeper than most fans think.
Born into a strong Chelsea-supporting family, Crouch was 4th in generation of his family to continue the ever-loving support for Chelsea.
Such hardcore fans were his family, he revealed he was named after the legendary Blues player Peter Osgood. His father was a massive Chelsea supporter who regularly took him to Stamford Bridge for matches.
One of the more surprising facts is how Crouch served as a ball boy for Chelsea at just mere 10 years young of age.
Speaking while going through old jerseys during a BT Sport feature, Crouch reflected nostalgically on his childhood chelsea supporting days.
“He took me to Chelsea as a kid. I was named Peter after Peter Osgood believe it or not,” Crouch explained.
He also recalled being mesmerised by watching Chelsea legends such as Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit playing when he was a child during Chelsea’s transformation in the 1990’s
Despite such a strong rooted connection with Chelsea, Crouch has repeatedly admitted he no longer is a Blues fan in the modern times.
According to the former striker, the relentless abuse he faced at the Stamford Bridge from the Chelsea fans in the stands during his playing career, ended up completely destroying any love he held for the Blues.
“Chelsea were my team as a kid but I lost all my feeling for them when I started going back as a player and got relentless stick from their fans,” he admitted in his Daily Mail column.
“So supporting Chelsea after i finished was never an option”
Instead, Crouch says the three clubs he supports emotionally with this whole heart are QPR, Liverpool and Tottenham, largely due to how happy he was there during his days of playing.
He has spoken emotionally about Liverpool being the years where he felt he was in his prime, while his unforgettable moments with Tottenham during Champions League were some of the times of his career cemented in his heart and soul.
For countless fans online, Crouch’s story perfectly demonstrates the strange emotional journey players share with their childhood favourite clubs. A boy who once bowed down to Chelsea ultimately found his connection elsewhere.
