'Our wonderful game has given me everything ... it's been a dream come true'
Friday 12 July 2019 13:39, UK
Former England forward Peter Crouch has announced his retirement from football at the age of 38.
Crouch scored 108 Premier League goals in 468 appearances for seven different clubs and won 42 caps for England, scoring 22 times.
He wrote on Twitter: "After a lot of deliberation this summer I have decided to retire from football!
"Our wonderful game has given me everything. I'm so thankful to everyone who helped me get there and to help me stay there for so long.
"If you told me at 17 I'd play in World Cups, get to a Champions League final, win the FA Cup and get 100 @premierleague goals I would have avoided you at all costs.
"It's been an absolute dream come true."
He came through the ranks at Tottenham but did not make any appearances during his initial spell at Spurs and made his name at QPR in the Championship.
He went on to have two spells with Portsmouth and also represented Aston Villa, Southampton and Liverpool, before re-joining Tottenham.
Crouch followed that second stint at White Hart Lane by making over 200 appearances for Stoke, before finishing his career at Burnley, who he joined in January.
He made his England debut against Colombia in May 2005 and played at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010, scoring his first competitive international goal in a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago at the former.
The 6ft 7ins forward was renowned for his aerial prowess and has scored the most headed goals in Premier League history.
He also popularised a robotic dance celebration, which he debuted after an England goal in 2006.
Crouch also wrote a column for the MailOnline, and said: "My ambition was to play until I was 40, so it is scary saying the word 'retirement'.
"It has left me emotional and it feels weird not to be preparing for a new campaign, but circumstances over the last couple of seasons have made me realise that this is the right thing to do.
"To go from being a regular starter to someone whose role is limited to 10 or 15 minutes off the bench has been hard to accept.
"I will be 39 in January, but I am physically fit and could have carried on. What I didn't want to be was someone who was thrown on to have balls smashed up to them.
"Collecting shirts was never something that interested me but I collected memories and have stories that I will be able to tell my children's children.
"This former footballer had the time of his life. It's time to write the next chapters."
Relive some of Crouch's top moments in the Premier League, from bicycle kicks for Liverpool and Portsmouth to a stunning long-range strike for Stoke...
