How to be a professional footballer…
I’m not a massive fan of the bantz era of football in which we find ourselves. I’m all for supporting my team but there is a sinking feeling that comes with the monomaniacal tribalism of football in the social media age, particularly in an environment where we can barely make it through one round of fixtures without someone doing a racism. I was initially concerned that That Peter Crouch Podcast might fall under the banter umbrella, and while it does occasionally stray into leg squeezing and ego stroking, it is made enjoyable by the irresistible everyman charm of Crouch himself.
The beauty of Crouchy’s first foray into the murky world of podcasts is that he gives a refreshing and genuinely fascinating insight into what life is really like as a pro footballer. It is the fact that Crouch realises how bizarre and unconventional that lifestyle has become that makes his podcast so relatable and fun to listen to.
Each episode tackles a different element of life as a footballer with topics such as goal celebrations, transfers and goalkeepers, all attacked with gusto and enthusiasm, as well as a large dollop of Crouch’s trademark self-deprecation. Being adored by millions and earning enough money to shop at Waitrose doesn’t seem to have changed Peter Crouch and he is able to be pensive and thoughtful about the road his life has taken.
Co-presenters Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark know when to push and when to just let Crouch talk and they share an easy chemistry that ensures the podcast never grows stale, no matter how many times Crouchy claims that Iniesta is his biggest fan.
While it never quite hits the heights of Football Weekly, Totally Football or Quickly Kevin, That Peter Crouch Podcast offers something different to all of the above and for that reason it is essential listening for any football fan.
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