Liverpool and Everton’s thrilling 2-2 draw in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday left fans buzzing, and former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch was no exception.
While the match had plenty of talking points, Crouch couldn’t stop praising Curtis Jones for his passion and commitment during the fiery clash.
The game, played at Goodison Park, was a classic derby filled with drama, intensity, and a touch of chaos. Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure taunted the Liverpool fans after the final whistle, while Curtis Jones won the hearts of the away supporters with his fiery reaction. The match ended in a mass scuffle between the two players, but for Crouch, this was exactly what a derby should be about.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, the former Liverpool striker admitted he loved the intensity of the game and was particularly impressed by Jones.
“What an unbelievable game,” said Crouch. “It was just a throwback.” Even when it kicked off at the end. I say no one wants scenes like that at the end but we do and it makes a derby.
Obviously, what Doucoure did, you can understand why he did it, because it’s an aggressive derby. But I thought what Curtis Jones did was fantastic as well, he’s like ‘how dare you do that to our fans’ and that’s what you want from a derby I think. You want to see that.”
Crouch, who scored at Goodison Park in a 3-1 win back in 2005, knows exactly what these matches mean to the players and fans. While he understood why Doucoure celebrated the way he did, he couldn’t help but applaud Jones for his fighting spirit.
Away from the pitch, Crouch shared a lighthearted story about his Everton-supporting friends. After the match, they suddenly revived a WhatsApp group that had been dormant for nearly a year.
“I’m mates with a few Evertonians, and they reignited a WhatsApp group that has been dormant for, I reckon, the best part of a year. I forgot I even had it,” Crouch shared. “But there’s a couple of Blues on there who reignited it from nowhere with a couple of emojis, all kicking off, and I thought ‘you’ve reignited a WhatsApp group for a draw!’”
