Peter Crouch...

...is my favorite footballer.

I love Crouchy, I admit it, I'm a full-on Crouchista. I don't know why more people aren't.

Peter Crouch is the anti-modern footballer. Well, okay, he wrote a book (Walking Tall), but besides that. Despite his model WAG Crouch tends to forgo the glitz, glamor and nightclubs associated with the modern game. Crouch never whines (and if anyone has a reason to whine it's Peter Crouch), he never complains, and he never gets arrested. By all accounts a charming, intelligent, caring man Peter Crouch is a model for young footballers across the globe.

Then why is he so hated? Height is an obvious reason, I'm 6'9" (2.06 m) and I received awful abuse from parents of other players as a child (parenting tip from a childless 24 year old: Teaching your children to hate is bad). But not all of the anti-Crouch hate comes from the simple-minded sect of our population, what is it about Crouchy that rubs people the wrong way?

I enjoy watching Crouch play. People tend to see a tall forward and automatically assume that he (or she) is a target striker. That's not always the case as Crouch (and Kanu, and Adebayor, and Carew, and Zigic) proves. Crouch, like the other players I mentioned, has the ability to play football with an elegance that seems to belie his lanky body (we're not all awkward :(). He plays the game with a dedication that seems to be fading from the modern game. Like Andy Johnson, Crouch always displays a willingness to chase down lost causes in an effort to get something for his team.

For the reasons listed above I felt somewhat vindicated when Wembley erupted into cheers after Crouch crashed home England's opening goal against Ukraine. I was among those who were displeased and offended when Peter was subbed on to a chorus of boos during his third cap (at Old Trafford) so nauseating that his father, Bruce, had to leave the stadium to keep from losing his temper.

The cheers were something of a sign that Crouch has come full circle. The "freak" chants at Gillingham were not the first hardship for a player from a so-called "middle class" background that included sleeping on a YMCA floor, having the parent of an opposing player threaten to break his legs (Peter was around twelve at this time) and nearly being kidnapped by guerrillas. Peter Crouch has had a long and winding road, and that has made his success all the more special for his fans. I can only imagine the satisfaction felt by Bruce and Jayne Crouch to hear their boy cheered by 90,000 only three years later.