PETER CROUCH: Provocation is only a smart phone away for footballers

 Peter Crouch is a columnist for Sportsmail

It has not been easy to watch or read about the story that Jamie Carragher has been caught up in this week.

I played for Liverpool and England with ‘Carra’ for a good few years and, though some people might not want to hear this, he’s a great lad. He doesn’t need me to say what he did was totally wrong and he knows better than anyone that his actions cannot be defended.

But let’s be clear that the incident started with provocation and I wanted to try to give an insight into the kind of world that footballers live in now — one where provocation is only a pointed mobile phone away.

Carra crossed the line but there are points when we are all taken towards it.

Believe me, it happens all the time. Whether you are sitting in a restaurant, travelling on a train or standing outside a stadium, the cameras are there.

I’d like to think I’m an approachable fella and if someone wants me to pose for a picture, I’ll always say ‘yes’ even when I’m with my family.

What I can’t abide, though, are the sly photographs that people take without asking. You can spot what they are doing a mile off; they make it look like they are browsing on their phone but, really, you know they are trying to capture an image of you in an off-guard moment. I can’t work out why you would want to do that but I really learned that lesson four years ago when someone filmed me throwing a few shapes on the dancefloor in Ibiza; I woke up the following morning to discover that I had gone viral!

Some who try it give you a laugh. They think they are being discreet but it’s hard to be discreet when they have left their flash on! When you point that out, they quickly turn red and make out as if it was a mistake. When I’m out and about, those types of incidents happen quite often. 

Jamie Carragher can't be defended over the incident which saw him spit out of his car window

Jamie Carragher can’t be defended over the incident which saw him spit out of his car window

But Carragher is a great lad and, let's be clear, the incident started with provocation

But Carragher is a great lad and, let’s be clear, the incident started with provocation

In some respects, though, I am lucky. I don’t tend to get abused but there are some people who will get abused everywhere they go. Most of the time you brush it off but there are occasions when you are pushed to the limit and want to have a go back.

The worst experience I had of something like this came during my time playing for Liverpool. My wife Abbey and I decided at the end of one season to head over to Ibiza, so we decided to get a late-night flight with a budget airline from Manchester.

It shouldn’t have been a problem but from the moment we went through security, I knew things could go wrong.

A group of Manchester United fans started chanting and we exchanged some harmless banter. The majority of them were good humoured but, unfortunately, a minority of them escalated things and started to become quite abusive. 

I knew if we had got on the plane it would have been absolutely unbearable, so we made the decision not to board.

Now, every moment you are away from home or training, you can have a lens pointed at you

Now, every moment you are away from home or training, you can have a lens pointed at you

But just imagine if I’d reacted to some of the things that we were subjected to — who would have made the headlines? I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been the stag do.

Don’t take this as me saying life in the public eye is a hardship. It isn’t. I’ve got the best job in the world and I know I’m in a privileged position but we are now in an era where the scrutiny and the potential to be involved in controversy has never been greater.

When I first started playing, the only time you knew you would get photographed was if the paparazzi were outside a smart restaurant in town.

Now, literally at every moment you are away from home or the training ground, you can have a lens pointed at you.

For that reason, the kids who are in Academies are trained about social media — what to do and what not to do — and educated about the issues that could arise. You have to be tuned about the potential for problems at all times.

At the end of the day, though, we are all human.

Jamie Carragher will be devastated that he did what he did last Saturday in what he called a ‘moment of madness’.

But in the face of provocation, it is hard not to react.

The scrutiny and the potential to be involved in controversy has never been greater 

The scrutiny and the potential to be involved in controversy has never been greater 

Champions League draw is a bit of a shame

So the Champions League draw has thrown up a battle of the Premier League and, while it’s a headline-grabbing game, in some respects it’s a shame.

I am intrigued to see where our clubs stand in comparison to the rest of Europe and I’d have preferred Manchester City and Liverpool to tackle other opponents rather than having to go head-to-head for a place in the last four.

It’s hard to gauge at the moment. Everyone thought we would have four representatives in the quarter-finals and I certainly expected Manchester United to cruise through against Sevilla but they ended up having 26 shots at Old Trafford. 

That’s unbelievable, really. Sometimes I feel we underestimate what is out there in Europe and it would have been great to see our two remaining teams measure themselves against the rest.

I tipped Barcelona as the likeliest winners a few weeks ago but it would be a great final if City or Liverpool play them in Kiev.

What I would say, however, is that Manchester City are playing a different game to anyone in England at the minute. Being on the pitch when they beat us 2-0 on Monday night, it felt impossible at times to get near them.

Liverpool will face Premier League rivals Manchester City in the Champions League last-eight 

Liverpool will face Premier League rivals Manchester City in the Champions League last-eight 

I am intrigued to see where Premier League clubs stand in comparison to the rest of Europe

I am intrigued to see where Premier League clubs stand in comparison to the rest of Europe

Have no doubt, Carrick will be a manager 

Michael Carrick has announced that he will retire at the end of the season and I hope that people will recognise what a great career he has enjoyed.

And it has been a great career. He has got all the medals to show for his efforts — a full set of domestic honours to go with both the Champions League and Europa League — but what has marked him out as being different is the time he spent at Manchester United.

Michael signed for them in 2006 and it takes a special type of character to last that long at a club where there is so much pressure and expectation.

I got three years at Liverpool and would have loved more, but for him to get 12 at Old Trafford highlights his mentality and ability. I started playing with Michael for England’s Under 18s and we progressed together all through to the seniors.

The best passers of a ball I played with were Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso but, on his day, Michael wasn’t far behind them.

He got 34 England caps and was unlucky not to win more.

He is a clever footballer, one who you rarely see out of position. He was always calm in possession and had an ability to be in the right place at the right time; that helped dictate the pace of games.

He understands football and I have absolutely no doubt he will be a manager in the future.

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will retire from playing at the end of the season

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will retire from playing at the end of the season

Carrick, 36, understands football and I have absolutely no doubt he will be a manager one day

Carrick, 36, understands football and I have absolutely no doubt he will be a manager one day

Tarkowski is a throwback… he just wants clean sheets! 

There are four new names in the England squad for next week’s friendlies and the two who really caught my eye are James Tarkowski and Alfie Mawson.

I like Mawson. He’s a good player and I’ve watched him progress at Swansea. He will relish this opportunity, as will Tarkowski, with whom I have had some good battles when Stoke have played Burnley over the last couple of seasons.

The thing that impresses me most about Tarkowski is he just wants to defend. He is strong and tough to play against. Normally defenders give me a couple of yards as they don’t expect to win aerial battles, but he is never afraid to get in tight and battle.

In an age where we want defenders to be ball players, Tarkowski is old fashioned in some respects and you can see he just wants to keep a clean sheet. He and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope deserve this opportunity.

Whether they are good enough to play internationally will become apparent to Gareth Southgate in the first few training sessions.

The quality with England is unforgiving and if you can stand up to the sessions, you will be able to cope with the matches. 

Burnley defender James Tarkowski just wants to defend. He is strong and tough to play against

Burnley defender James Tarkowski just wants to defend. He is strong and tough to play against

He and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope deserve this opportunity to play for their national side 

He and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope deserve this opportunity to play for their national side 

MY WEEK 

WHAT I HAVE BEEN UP TO…

The highlight, without a doubt, was beating my Dad at 10-pin bowling at my daughter’s birthday party.

Two of our kids fell asleep while they were waiting for me and my old man to get the final spare!

I also enjoyed going to the Maddox Gallery in Mayfair, London, on Thursday night to see an exhibition of Dan Baldwin’s art. It’s always a good place to go.

WHO’S CAUGHT MY EYE… 

Lionel Messi 

It is an obvious choice, admittedly, but watching him against Chelsea was breathtaking. He is the greatest of all time, without a shadow of a doubt.

I’m honoured that I will be able to tell my grandchildren that I shared a pitch with him in the 2007 Champions League for Liverpool.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO… 

It has been a trip down memory lane this week and I haven’t got enough space to list all the good tunes from the 1990s.

All I’ll say is that Oasis, Pulp, Richard Ashcroft, Cast, Ocean Colour Scene and The Charlatans have been on repeat.

NEXT UP FOR ME…

The perks of being a washed-up international mean you can have a weekend off when your team-mates are on their travels, so I will take the chance to get away for a few days with my family.

Everything depends, though, on Saturday’s game against Everton and we have to get three points.

International breaks on the back of a loss are desperately bleak.

Let’s hope the Bet365 Stadium is rocking and we all go home happy. 



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