Peter Crouch was never your average footballer. Towering at 6ft 7in, with a cheeky grin, he quickly became one of football’s most beloved personalities. But when he hung up his boots in 2019, fans wondered what was next for the man who had spent over two decades lighting up pitches and press conferences.
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As it turns out, Peter Crouch’s life after football is just as entertaining, meaningful, and full of unexpected turns as his playing career ever was. From podcasts with his wife Abbey Clancy to powerful mental health advocacy, Crouch has found a new way to connect with fans off the pitch.
Why did Peter Crouch retire from football?
Peter Crouch announced his retirement from professional football in July 2019 at the age of 38, bringing to a close a 20-year career that spanned 11 clubs, including Liverpool, Tottenham, and Stoke City. Reflecting on his career, he shared in the Daily Mail:
I have had 23 years to prepare for this moment but, now it is here, you realise nothing can prepare you at all.
Despite feeling physically fit and believing he could continue playing, he ultimately realised that his role had diminished. He admitted:
The time has come refer to myself as a 'former footballer'; this incredible journey I have been on since I was 16 is over.
My ambition was to play until I was 40, so it is scary saying the word 'retirement.'
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.
To go from being a regular starter to someone whose role is limited to 10 or 15 minutes off the bench has been hard to accept.
His retirement marked a turning point not just professionally, but personally, as he declared:
This former footballer had the time of his life. It's time to write the next chapters.
What is Peter Crouch doing today?
After his retirement, Crouch didn’t stay idle for long. Transitioning into the next phase of his career, he threw himself into new projects. One of the most impactful has been his work around mental health.
Crouch is now a leading voice in the #TalkMoreThanFootball initiative, a collaboration between Three, Samaritans, and Chelsea FC. The campaign aims to help football fans open up about mental health, with trained taxi drivers offering therapeutic conversations en route to matches. Crouch said in an exclusive interview with Shortlist:
Certainly, for men, there are quite a few issues with them, around not being able to talk.
When I see Abbey [Peter’s wife], she's always talking to her friends, and any problems she's got, she's on the phone straight away.
I think we're very different, I would say, and football has that kind of stigma associated with it, where it's like ‘come on, just man up,’ you know? ‘You toughen up,’ that kind of thing.
The campaign features a special taxi service running from West Brompton Tube station to Stamford Bridge. Passengers can talk freely with trained drivers, helping to ease mental burdens in a safe, non-judgmental space. Crouch praised the concept, sharing:
It's nice to be able to sit in the back of a cab and kind of speak to someone who's been trained by the Samaritans and is qualified enough to listen, and willing to listen as well.
Beyond this initiative, he’s continued building his media presence, especially through The Therapy Crouch, a podcast he co-hosts with wife Abbey Clancy.
His life with Abbey Clancy
He and Abbey Clancy have been together for nearly 20 years and married since 2011 with four children. Through their hit podcast and media appearances, fans have seen a couple who clearly adore one another—and aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves.
In an interview with OK! Magazine, Abbey revealed the secret to their long-lasting love:
We’ve totally grown together over the years.
When we look back at our wedding day, some of the choices we’ve made, some things we’ve done in the past, we’re like, ‘Bloody hell, who were we then?!’ But today? We’re still in sync.
We’ve got the same interests and the same things make us laugh. It’s a really happy time for us at the moment.
The couple’s dynamic often plays out in their podcast, where no topic is off-limits. Whether it's Abbey joking that Peter was a 'c**p nurse' during her flu or stories from their ski holidays, they keep things real. Their shared humour and openness seem to be the glue in their 14-year marriage.
Despite their closeness, they also respect each other’s independence. Abbey, an avid horse rider, and Peter, a keen golfer, have their separate hobbies. Speaking on their podcast, Abbey joked:
We live separate lives now. He goes to golf and I go horse riding, and then we meet at the end.
Peter agreed, adding:
I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Like, not every day, because we need to do stuff together as well. But I think some part of the week, I think that's a totally healthy relationship.
As parents to four children, they also balance roles at home. Abbey describes herself as the disciplinarian, she said:
Pete’s good cop and I’m bad cop.
I’m the one going, ‘Do your homework, eat your veg,’ and Pete’s like, ‘Let’s play, kids!’ which can be annoying but… it works.
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Sources used:
The Sun: Ex-England, Spurs and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch retires from football aged 38 after 20-year career that took in 11 clubs
Shortlist: Exclusive: Peter Crouch on mental health, life after football and his new charity initiative
OK! Magazine: Abbey Clancy brands Peter Crouch 'useless' as she backtracks over sex life confession
Mirror: Peter Crouch living 'separate life' to Abbey Clancy as she opens up on their marriage
