Peter Crouch settles back into a big office chair and stretches out those long legs under the desk in front of him.
"I feel like Alan Sugar," he says. "In fact, I might even fire you!" The sales manager’s office of a car showroom is about the last place you would expect to find the England striker, were it not for his promotional work with Hyundai.
The manager’s office at Liverpool is a little more familiar, however. It was there just a few short weeks ago that Crouch sat down with Rafael Benitez to discuss the growing uncertainty over his future.
He was frustrated at Benitez’s rotation policy. Frustrated at being subbed in the Boxing Day defeat at Blackburn, when his displeasure was plain for all to see. Newcastle tried their luck with a £12m bid and the ball was in Liverpool’ s court.
He said: "There was interest but the manager reiterated that I had a future at Liverpool and that was good enough for me.
"It can be frustrating. I wasn’t playing as much as I’d have liked in that period just before January. I was frustrated to be taken off at Blackburn when I thought I could have influenced the game. I wasn’t surprised about the speculation but I had no intention of leaving."
Although his current reading choices are Dan Brown’s bestsellers, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Crouch has not always appreciated the intrigue surrounding Benitez’s team selection this season.
He has been unsure whether he would be playing alongside Dirk Kuyt or Craig Bellamy, or watching Liverpool’s two summer signings from the bench.
And still the question of Benitez’s first-choice partnership remains unanswered. "I think it’s definitely still open," said Crouch. "At a high-profile club like Liverpool, you’re always going to have people talking about every player. Sometimes it’s over-the-top good and sometimes people take it too far the other way. But it’s certainly not going to affect me."
Benitez started with all three of his senior strikers at West Ham on Tuesday night and Crouch celebrated his 26th birthday with the latest in a string of spectacular strikes this season — an 18th goal for club and country that gave Liverpool hope of reeling in Manchester United and Chelsea. ] An exciting Premiership finale is long overdue, not to mention a Liverpool title celebration which last occurred when Crouch was nine.
But he shares the Anfield belief that Benitez’s side can creep up on the rails in what was until recently seen as a two horse race.
"Arsenal beating United kept it all open," he said. "A month ago we weren’t even contemplating winning the League. Now there’s hope."
Crouch has been spotted through the showroom window by some young fans and word is spreading fast outside.
He only dropped by to check out Hyundai’s latest sports coupe and pose for some photos, but by the time he has obliged the growing band of autograph hunters, it is unlikely he will make it to the motorway before rush hour.
Crouch has bought an apartment about 40 miles away in Alderley Edge and is happy, for now, with more modest accommodation compared to the extravagant homes of neighbours like Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand.
It is only a few miles from where he was born in Macclesfield, before his family moved to London and later settled there after a brief spell in Singapore when he was four.
"Life has come full circle and hopefully I’ll stay here for a long, long time," said Crouch, who joined Tottenham as a teenager and went through six clubs in four years — including IFK Hassleholm in Sweden — before Liverpool signed him from Southampton for £7million.
"After Southampton, there was a chance to join Manchester City," he said. "My mum’s side of the family are big City fans and my little cousin was texting me trying to get me there.
"But once Liverpool came in there was never a possibility of me going anywhere else. All the lads have helped me settle in and Stevie Gerrard and Jamie Carragher look after the new boys."
While acknowledging that Crouch is the most accomplished Liverpool player on the dance floor, Carragher also mischievously labelled him the "vainest".
"Is that what he said?" asks Crouch incredulously. "No way. Most vain player? I don’t know who’s the vainest, but without doubt I’m the best dancer."
Then, of course there is the size issue and it is clear Crouch is tired of the "not bad for a big man" mindset.
The 6ft 7in striker underlined his point with replica scissor-kick goals against Galatasaray and Bolton this season. Ironically, now the pundits are panning him for failing to score with his head.
"When I was scoring goals and getting a load of headers, there was nothing to be said," he added. "But recently I’ve been frustrated when I’ve had opportunities and should have buried a couple. Let’s face it, the headers haven’t been going in — but the scissor kicks have!"
Sharp. Very sharp. He’ll make a sales manager yet.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1779
"I feel like Alan Sugar," he says. "In fact, I might even fire you!" The sales manager’s office of a car showroom is about the last place you would expect to find the England striker, were it not for his promotional work with Hyundai.
The manager’s office at Liverpool is a little more familiar, however. It was there just a few short weeks ago that Crouch sat down with Rafael Benitez to discuss the growing uncertainty over his future.
He was frustrated at Benitez’s rotation policy. Frustrated at being subbed in the Boxing Day defeat at Blackburn, when his displeasure was plain for all to see. Newcastle tried their luck with a £12m bid and the ball was in Liverpool’ s court.
He said: "There was interest but the manager reiterated that I had a future at Liverpool and that was good enough for me.
"It can be frustrating. I wasn’t playing as much as I’d have liked in that period just before January. I was frustrated to be taken off at Blackburn when I thought I could have influenced the game. I wasn’t surprised about the speculation but I had no intention of leaving."
Although his current reading choices are Dan Brown’s bestsellers, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Crouch has not always appreciated the intrigue surrounding Benitez’s team selection this season.
He has been unsure whether he would be playing alongside Dirk Kuyt or Craig Bellamy, or watching Liverpool’s two summer signings from the bench.
And still the question of Benitez’s first-choice partnership remains unanswered. "I think it’s definitely still open," said Crouch. "At a high-profile club like Liverpool, you’re always going to have people talking about every player. Sometimes it’s over-the-top good and sometimes people take it too far the other way. But it’s certainly not going to affect me."
Benitez started with all three of his senior strikers at West Ham on Tuesday night and Crouch celebrated his 26th birthday with the latest in a string of spectacular strikes this season — an 18th goal for club and country that gave Liverpool hope of reeling in Manchester United and Chelsea. ] An exciting Premiership finale is long overdue, not to mention a Liverpool title celebration which last occurred when Crouch was nine.
But he shares the Anfield belief that Benitez’s side can creep up on the rails in what was until recently seen as a two horse race.
"Arsenal beating United kept it all open," he said. "A month ago we weren’t even contemplating winning the League. Now there’s hope."
Crouch has been spotted through the showroom window by some young fans and word is spreading fast outside.
He only dropped by to check out Hyundai’s latest sports coupe and pose for some photos, but by the time he has obliged the growing band of autograph hunters, it is unlikely he will make it to the motorway before rush hour.
Crouch has bought an apartment about 40 miles away in Alderley Edge and is happy, for now, with more modest accommodation compared to the extravagant homes of neighbours like Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand.
It is only a few miles from where he was born in Macclesfield, before his family moved to London and later settled there after a brief spell in Singapore when he was four.
"Life has come full circle and hopefully I’ll stay here for a long, long time," said Crouch, who joined Tottenham as a teenager and went through six clubs in four years — including IFK Hassleholm in Sweden — before Liverpool signed him from Southampton for £7million.
"After Southampton, there was a chance to join Manchester City," he said. "My mum’s side of the family are big City fans and my little cousin was texting me trying to get me there.
"But once Liverpool came in there was never a possibility of me going anywhere else. All the lads have helped me settle in and Stevie Gerrard and Jamie Carragher look after the new boys."
While acknowledging that Crouch is the most accomplished Liverpool player on the dance floor, Carragher also mischievously labelled him the "vainest".
"Is that what he said?" asks Crouch incredulously. "No way. Most vain player? I don’t know who’s the vainest, but without doubt I’m the best dancer."
Then, of course there is the size issue and it is clear Crouch is tired of the "not bad for a big man" mindset.
The 6ft 7in striker underlined his point with replica scissor-kick goals against Galatasaray and Bolton this season. Ironically, now the pundits are panning him for failing to score with his head.
"When I was scoring goals and getting a load of headers, there was nothing to be said," he added. "But recently I’ve been frustrated when I’ve had opportunities and should have buried a couple. Let’s face it, the headers haven’t been going in — but the scissor kicks have!"
Sharp. Very sharp. He’ll make a sales manager yet.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1779
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