Ex Liverpool and Portsmouth legend admits dazzling career missed Newcastle United transfer

Premier League legend Peter Crouch has shared his regret at not making a move to Newcastle United during his playing career.

The former Liverpool, Spurs and Portsmouth striker played for 11 clubs across his 21-year career, which ended after a stint with Burnley in the Premier League in 2019. Crouch scored 199 goals in 720 appearances and is one of the top flight's most memorable strikers thanks to his 6 ft 7 in height and admitted a move to the North East would have been a career highlight.

At a couple of stages in his career, Crouch had been linked with a move to Newcastle United but nothing ever materialised and the star's visits to Tyneside remained as an opponent. The forward only faced three clubs more than the 27 times he played the Magpies - scoring six goals in 27 appearances, winning 10, drawing six and losing 11 times.

With the Magpies now flying high, Crouch has thought about the Magpies transfer that never quite happened. Inspired by Eddie Howe's side's recent wins against Manchester United and Arsenal, Crouch shared his respect for the club on the latest episode of The Peter Crouch Podcast.

Crouch said: “It’s one of those clubs where I wanted to play there. Imagine being the number nine at Newcastle. If you’d have done well and scored there, they would just love you.

“When you speak to Jermaine Jenas and Titus Bramble, players who I know well, and players who have been up there. They just love playing there. Even then it was probably a difficult time. Imagine being up there now with the Champions League.”

Magpies supporters may best remember Crouch for being the star on the receiving end of a Fabricio Coloccini boot during a match against Stoke City in 2012. The Argentina clobbered the Potters man, causing him to lose several teeth and need corrective surgery.

Discussing that moment on a former podcast episode, Crouch said: "The Coloccini one. He gave me an elbow and it was one of those that was intentional. I went to jump and he had one eye on me, elbow in the chops. I lost all four of my front teeth. They all fell out at the same time but I caught two of them.

"The other two were on the floor and the physio came on and my mouth was gushing with blood. I asked the physio if he could get my two teeth back in!

"I tried to play but there was no chance. I went back in at half-time and I tried to put the teeth back in. If you put them straight in milk apparently it keeps them alive so there is a possibility of getting them back in.

"It was awful, really. My front four teeth are all false. They are filed down to pegs and they are like veneers. I have been called the fourth Bee Gee at times and I would like to address it now that it was a medical procedure."