Peter Crouch hasn’t completely hung up the boots that have made his career as a footballer yet. At 37, the slender striker still presides in the Stoke City ranks, despite only playing in two small games this Championship season.
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It’s most likely the end of his professional playing career that has led him to literature. In his autobiography, which came out at the beginning of September, the former Liverpool player relates changing room anecdotes, some of which are sometimes amusing to read.
Cristiano and his ego
One of the stories features Cristiano Ronaldo and, indirectly, his constant rival, Lionel Messi. Although they were not five-time Ballon d’Or winners yet, they were still in competition from afar.
Peter Crouch explains that his locker room companion Rio Ferdinand would regularly tell stories about Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘In the national team, Rio Ferdinand would tell us what was going on at Manchester United with Cristiano Ronaldo. One day CR7, while looking at himself naked in the mirror, ran his hand through his hair and exclaimed ‘Wow, I am so gorgeous’. His teammates teased him by telling him ‘Messi’s a better player than you’. Ronaldo just shrugged his shoulders before starting to laugh: ‘Yes, but Messi doesn’t look like this’.
