As the bombshell news drops that Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly set to leave Anfield for free this summer, one former Red has opened up about his exit regrets
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Updated 09:42, 27 Mar 2025
Peter Crouch.
Peter Crouch has claimed leaving Liverpool is his biggest career regret(Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Peter Crouch has confessed that leaving Liverpool for Portsmouth is the "biggest club regret" of his career, admitting he would've loved to have been a "one-club man". The former England international played for many teams in his day, including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, QPR and Norwich City.
However, it was his three seasons at Liverpool that made Crouch wish he had stayed at Anfield for longer. While playing under Rafa Benitez, Crouch went through an initial goal-drought period, finally scoring 19 games into his tenure with the club.
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He secured an FA Cup and Community Shield with Liverpool and made the Champions League final in the 2006/07 season - but AC Milan broke Reds hearts as they won the game 2-1.
During a Q&A session with the Mail in 2020, Crouch spoke about his football regrets and admitted that departing Liverpool for Portsmouth in 2008 was his biggest sorrow.
The now-44-year-old said: "It would have been brilliant to be a one-club man or to spend 10 years at a particular place. My biggest club regret is leaving Liverpool too early, but circumstances meant I had little option."
Crouch also admitted he wished he had gotten more caps for England, adding: "The other main regret I have revolves around England. I won 42 caps but felt I could have got many more."
Peter Crouch of Liverpool celebrates.
Peter Crouch regrets leaving Liverpool the most(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Discussing Liverpool's Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea on the run to the final that year, the former striker described it as the most "special" in terms of the atmosphere of his career.
Crouch said: "In terms of intensity, Liverpool's Champions League semi-final with Chelsea in 2007 was unreal. I've never heard an atmosphere like it and the noise that followed Dirk Kuyt's winning penalty nearly took the roof off.
"The thing about the game that was so special was the rivalry and the quality of the opposition. We were walking a tightrope and one mistake meant our dreams would end."
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly edging closer to an exit from his boyhood club(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images)
Rumours are currently swirling about Trent Alexander-Arnold's potential exit from his boyhood club this summer. The Reds right-back is heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, with his contract at Anfield expiring at the end of the season.
Should the academy graduate choose not to sign a new contract before the 2024/25 campaign concludes, he could head to the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer - breaking the hearts of thousands of Liverpool fans.
Due to his deal running down, the right-back has been able to enter into discussions with other clubs about signing a pre-contract ahead of the 2025/26 season.