Stoke striker Crouch working harder than ever
You are supposed to take it easy in your old age, but veteran Stoke striker Peter Crouch insists he is more enthusiastic than ever before after finishing as the club’s top goalscorer.
Twelve months ago, Crouch’s Stoke career looked over with manager Mark Hughes preferring younger blood, such as Bojan, in attack.
But the 36-year-old has rebounded strongly and brought up his 100th Premier League goal in January – on his way to ten for the season in all competitions.
Peter Crouch of Stoke City hands over his shirt to the fan he chatted on Twitter after the Premier League match between Southampton and Stoke City at St Mary’s Stadium on May 21, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
As players near retirement age, they often train less than their teammates in order to be fully fit come game day – but Crouch is adamant he has more energy than he ever has done before, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I’m sure if you ask the manager, any of the coaching staff, or any of the players, I’m sure they would tell you the exact opposite and they have to kick me off the training pitch,” he said.
“I don’t think I’ve missed a session this season. I’ve seen older players like Sol Campbell, for instance, get a massage all week until the Friday and then come out and play.
“But I train every single day the same as the young lads in the squad and when I stop doing that I think I will lose something because training is important to me and I know I can still play at this level and train every day.”
