Stuff Meets: Peter Crouch

Augmented reality would be great for sorting tactics

I think eventually this will become like a tactics board where you can actually see the pitch and see your players move and what they do. I think it could certainly help with set pieces or where players need to stand or be positioned. It could definitely help football in general.

VR and AR also has a place for watching the game at home

I saw that video of Jamie Carragher with the VR headset. What’s good about that is when you’re sitting at home, you can see the sort of situations that players are in, and maybe see it from a different perspective. That’s what it’s all about really. To be able to see things from a different perspective and put yourself in the position of the player. It’s going to work well, if it’s used correctly.

Punditry is now more technical

I wouldn’t say I’m hot on technology, but working with BT and covering the games, you obviously have the tactics board and the screens to draw on the arrows and highlight the players. You have to be able to use it if you want to show the sort of thinking around the tactics in punditry now.

I wanted to hear the fake crowd noise

A lot of fans I know want to hear the players, but I’ve heard the players for 20 years, I don’t need to hear them! I actually prefer hearing the fans. I prefer a little bit of atmosphere when I’m watching the games on TV otherwise it just sounds like a reserve game to me. You can’t beat having the fans there though. It needs to happen sooner rather than later. I think about Wembley being full for the Euros, It’s spine-tingling when you think about Euro 96 and what that was like. If we can get the same sort of buzz here together that would be amazing.

I need to sort out my podcast setup

We are on series five of That Peter Crouch Podcast now and I’m only now looking into getting a mic. The show has got so big I’ve got to the stage where I need a proper setup. We used to do it in the pub and it was great, but that’s kind of been taken away from us. I’ve just got a laptop and a microphone I was given, but I think I’ve realised this is basically my job now. I never really classed it as a job and now it is, so I need to sort myself out. Chris [Stark] and Tom [Fordyce] are proper broadcasters. They’ve got the full set up, the noise cancellation boards and whatever else. I’m literally with a mic in my front room. So yeah, I need a serious upgrade.

I’ve got no time for gaming

Phones are so important and my Apple iPad. What I love at the moment are the AirPods – absolutely loving them. We’ve got a Sony PlayStation, but I’ve got four kids and I can’t find the time to play it.

Game streaming blew my mind

I always remember towards the end of my career we played away at Huddersfield and we brought along a couple of the young lads. I played in that stadium the first year it was built in 2000 and these lads weren’t even born – that made me feel old. I loved the way they were all playing games and then watching people play the games on YouTube. That blew my mind.

I don’t believe young football fans are losing interest in the game

That comment from Real Madrid President Florentino Perez is clutching at straws to be quite honest. I see kids playing all the time out and emulating the players they’ve seen on TV. Football’s bigger than it’s ever been and the only people that are going to change that is if people like him try to ruin it.

England have a bright future

There are loads of teams I’m interested in seeing at the Euros. Look at Portugal, what a team they’ve got now, France as well. It’s always the same old teams, but I am really excited about this group of young English players we’ve got now and also excited to see how Gareth is going to fit them all in.

If VAR could chalk out one bad decision from my playing days…

I would like to see how things would have panned out if Lamp’s goal counted at the 2010 World Cup. Obviously, we got beat fair and square, but would that have changed it in any way? I’m just glad I’m not playing with VAR around. I reckon my goal ratio would have come down about 20-25 goals. I remember one goal against Man City where I handballed it twice in one movement. It’s in the record books now so it doesn’t matter!

Peter Crouch helped launch the world’s first 5G AR foosball tournament hosted by EE at Wembley Stadium. You can catch all the action here.