Peter Crouch, who spent the second half of last term with Burnley, has announced his retirement from football. The former England international joined Burnley in January as part of a deal which saw Sam Vokes head in the other direction to Stoke.
He made six appearances for the Clarets, all from the bench, and failed to hit the back of the net but boss Sean Dyche praised his influence and was happy to offer the veteran hitman a contract for 2019-20. However, Crouch, who has dipped his toe in the world of broadcast media over the past 12 months, opted to reject that deal and has now confirmed his retirement.
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Crouch Tweeted: “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.” He added in a column in the Daily Mail: “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.”
Crouch made his senior debut as a 16-year-old for Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League before turning out for IFK Hassleholm, QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich, Southampton, Liverpool, Tottenham, Stoke and Burnley. He made 42 appearances for England, scoring 22 times, and was part of the Three Lions squad at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup.
