Peter Crouch: 'Jonathan Woodgate influenced decision'

Stoke City's new record signing Peter Crouch has admitted that former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Jonathan Woodgate played a big role in his joining the club.

The England international striker signed a four-year deal at the Britannia Stadium yesterday evening after Spurs had accepted a £10m bid from Stoke.

Upon joining the club, Crouch confessed that several positive phone calls from Woodgate helped him come to a decision.

"Woody was on the phone every hour trying to persuade me to come here," he told the club's official website.

"He only had great things to say about the club and that was a major factor in me coming here. He spoke in glowing terms about the club and the manager.

"I'm looking forward to linking up with him again and a number of other players who have been teammates at other clubs including Wilson [Palacios] of course."

Woodgate joined the Potters during the summer on a free transfer after his Spurs contract expired.