Peter Crouch has recalled a hilarious dressing down he received alongside defender Ledley King when the pair of future senior internationals were playing for the England U-16s team.
Crouch and King were good friends and Tottenham Hotspur youth team teammates at the time, both hopeful of making a senior career for themselves with the senior national team.
While away on a camp with the Under-16s, Crouch retells a story which emphasises the lack of belief there perhaps was in the gangly forward having a top-level career at the time.
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“I remember going to England U-16s with Ledley. We were late – and the manager was just talking to Ledley while I was stood there. ‘You will play for England, you can’t be late’, he said to Ledley, before turning around to me. ‘You might…’”
Crouch laughs about it today, but it shows the battle he had on his hands to even convince his coaches he was good enough to reach the top.
“I was just Ledley’s mate leading him astray,” Crouch adds. “I knew I had enough ability but Ledley was unbelievable. I probably ended up with more England caps, though.”
He did. Crouch went on to earn 42 caps and score 22 goals, twice the number of caps of the injury-plagued centre-back, as well playing at the top level in the Premier League, and representing his country at several major tournaments.
Crouch has been open about the fight he had on his hands to convince people he could be a professional footballer in his own podcasts and his new Amazon Prime documentary.
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