Peter Crouch is eager to hit the ground running at Stoke and repay the 'remarkable support' he has received since signing.
Potters new boy looking forward to debut and a fresh start
Peter Crouch is eager to hit the ground running at Stoke and repay the 'remarkable support' he has received since signing.
The Potters broke their transfer record to land the England international on transfer deadline day, as they paid Tottenham £10million for his services.
The arrival of a proven Premier League performer, and an international star, has generated plenty of excitement at the Britannia Stadium.
Supporters stayed up long into the night to welcome Crouch to their club on the day he penned a four-year contract, and the 30-year-old striker is determined to give something back to those fans.
"It was crazy really, and I don't think I've seen anything quite like it before," Crouch told Stoke's
official matchday magazine for their Premier League meeting with Liverpool on Saturday.
"It was like half one in the morning and there were still 800 to 1000 fans out there singing my name and that was really flattering to be honest.
Thankful
"I'm very thankful for the welcome they gave me, and hopefully I can repay them out on the pitch now with performances and goals.
"I will give absolutely everything I have got in every game I play in, that is for sure."
Crouch is set to make his debut against Liverpool - one of his former clubs - this weekend and while acknowledging that the Reds will pose a considerable test to the Potters, he believes Tony Pulis' side are capable of getting a positive result.
He added: "There have been a lot of changes there, but they have settled in very well and they have started the season extremely well. The players all seem to have fitted in to the system Kenny (Dalglish) wants to play there and they look very dangerous going forward.
"(Luis) Suarez has been on fire, they have Andy Carroll there who is very talented, Craig Bellamy has just arrived from Manchester City, and I know Stewart Downing from England so they have some very good options. They have strengthened, but so have we.
"I mean, I look around our dressing room and we have some fantastic players in there as well. I know from being an opposing player that nobody enjoys coming here and playing against Stoke. It's always an incredibly hard game to play in, so we have the belief that we can win the game."
