Peter Crouch makes Stoke vow after earning new contract

Peter Crouch: Hat-trick on rare start

Peter Crouch has put pen to paper on a new Stoke deal that will see him remain at the club until at least the summer of 2018.

The 35-year-old former England international, whose current contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has scored twice in his last two Premier League outings for Mark Hughes’ side.

Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes told the club’s official website: “Peter still has a great deal to offer us as a player and we are pleased he has decided to extend his stay with us.”

Crouch was on target in the Potters’ 4-2 defeat to Chelsea on New Year’s Eve and again in last week’s 2-0 victory over Watford to make it five goals in all competitions for the season and take his career tally of Premier League goals to 98.

The ex-Liverpool and Tottenham forward, who also counts QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Southampton among his former clubs, joined Stoke in August 2011 for a then club-record fee of £10million and has scored 49 goals in 186 appearances since.

Crouch is confident he can continue to cause defences problems following his decision to extend his stay at Stoke by one year.

He said: “I’m really pleased to be staying at the club; I’ve been here for a number of years now and I love it.

“I come in every day with a smile on my face and long may that continue.

“Obviously I didn’t want to go anywhere, I just wanted to play.

“I was a little bit frustrated at not playing as many games as I’d like. That’s changed recently – I’ve played a few and really enjoyed it.

“I know that I can play and impact games at this level for a number of years yet so hopefully I can continue to do that.”

The veteran striker began this season with a hat-trick in the EFL Cup win at Stevenage and is hoping to keep his spot in Hughes’ starting XI since being recalled for last month’s defeat at Liverpool.

He said: “The manager has said right from the start that I’d have an important role to play; that’s been the case recently and hopefully it will be towards the end of the season.

“I work hard every day and I knew that when that chance came along I had to grab it.

“Hopefully I’ve done myself a bit of justice recently and I’d like to stay in.

“The fact that the contract is out of my mind now is a great relief for me and now I can just concentrate on pushing us up the league.”