Peter Crouch feels the faith shown in him by Stoke manager Tony Pulis can help him hit his top form at the Britannia Stadium.
Potters hitman feels appreciated at Britannia
Striker Peter Crouch feels the faith shown in him by Stoke manager Tony Pulis can help him hit his top form at the Britannia Stadium.
The towering frontman arrived in Staffordshire from Tottenham in the summer on a transfer deadline day deal and has already scored two goals for the Potters.
Crouch admits he needs to feel wanted to do well at a club and says he gets that sense of appreciation from Pulis.
Belief
"He certainly gives me that belief," Crouch told
The Independent.
"The best football I have ever played in my career has always been with a manager who rates me extremely highly."
The striker admits he did not feel valued at White Hart Lane, adding: "In the end it worked out best for everyone.
"They got a good fee for me and they could bring (Scott) Parker in. I could go to a club where I felt extremely wanted and felt like a real big part of it moving forward. I didn't feel that at Tottenham."
Former Liverpool man Crouch has been impressed by Pulis' methods since his summer arrival.
"He has really, really impressed me with his attention to detail and the work he does on every player and team's stats," he said.
"He is not concerned what anyone else says about the way we play. All he is concerned about is getting results, a stable Premier League team doing well in the cup competitions. He has achieved that.
"We are an established team now. We have done well in Europe so far, the team reached the FA Cup final last year and for me it is going to get better and better. We are not concerned what people say outside. As a manager I can't talk about him highly enough."
Crouch is adamant there is no room for egos at the Britannia, with every player expected to pull their weight.
Hard work
He added: "From the top it is about hard work before anything else. Hard work, determination and you have to fit into the team otherwise we will lose the identity of Stoke. He (Pulis) said that to me when I arrived.
"I know he wouldn't accept (players with a high opinion of themselves) and if he saw anyone getting out of line they wouldn't be playing.
"That is not how I am. The manager has done his homework on me. I am happy to work as hard, if not harder, than those who are here already. The manager certainly won't take anything less."
