Peter Crouch's regret over Portsmouth move from Liverpool - and how he almost joined Sunderland and Fulham instead of Spurs

The former Blues striker has told of how he felt his time ended At Anfield too quickly when he moved to Fratton Park in 2009.

And Crouch has revealed how he almost moved to both Sunderland and Fulham before leaving PO4 to go to Spurs in 2009.

Speaking in his Daily Mail column, Crouch was asked if he had any regrets in his career - and he responded by his record £9m move to Fratton Park ending his three-year stay at Liverpool was one.

Crouch said: ‘It’s something I have thought a lot about. 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.

‘All my transfers happened for a reason. QPR went into administration, so I went to Portsmouth; I did well there then end up in the Premier League with Aston Villa. They were all logical. The other main regret I have revolves around England. I won 42 caps but felt I could have got many more.’

Crouch also explains the circumstances around his Pompey exit and just how close the Stadium of Light and Craven Cottage came to being his destinations rather than White Hart Lane.

He added: ‘History shows I went from Portsmouth to Tottenham in the summer of 2009 but it could quite easily have been Portsmouth to Sunderland. Steve Bruce was keen to sign me and it got to the point where I flew up to the North East from the South Coast.

‘Steve took me around Sunderland’s fantastic training ground, we had lunch together and I was even taken to the areas where the other players lived to look at possible houses. I was prepared to move there over Fulham, who had also shown a significant interest.

‘On the way back home, though, I got a call from Harry Redknapp, who asked me about my plans. When I told him about Sunderland, he made his pitch for Tottenham and having not even been in the picture, I was suddenly headed for White Hart Lane. I’m glad it worked out as it did.’