By Matt Jackson
Copyright walesonline
Abbey Clancy jokingly told husband Peter Crouch not to “come home” as he steps up his “new love”. Recently Abbey revealed that former Premier League footballer Peter had been slinking off in the early mornings as he developed a new passion. The 39-year-old model woke up on holiday to discover her husband was “nowhere to be seen” after he took up another sport. Peter later revealed that he had started tennis lessons after being inspired by their teenage daughter Sophia. The 42-cap England international has previously spoken about his love of golf and padel on the couple’s podcast, The Therapy Crouch. But Peter says he is now keen to enter tennis tournaments. On The Therapy Crouch, Peter said: “Genuinely, I feel like I want to start competing because I had a couple of lessons and I felt good and I wanted to see how far I can get with it.” Peter later said he was “bang up for” entering a tennis tournament. It came after the show’s producer Ross accused him of “chickening out”. Abbey shot back: “I don’t like men who chicken out. You are so confident.” Peter reassured his wife he “wants to compete”. She replied: “Good, make sure you win, or don’t come home.” Peter “caught the bug” for tennis when he decided to enroll in lessons after taking 14-year-old Sophia to her coaching. It came just weeks after he was spotted at Wimbledon with Abbey and Sophia. On a previous podcast episode, Abbey said: “Pete’s found a new love. So everyday on holiday, I’d wake up, Pete nowhere to be seen. I’d be like, ‘Where the f**k has he been going?’ “He’d been booking himself tennis lessons. Tennis lessons, taking Sophia, who is doing the lessons anyway with her coach and Pete’s booked himself in. And he’s also joined a tennis club here, at home, and he’s in a tennis competition and a tennis team.” To which Peter responded: “You know what’s happened? I’ve got the bug massively. I was taking Sophia and said, ‘Do you know what, I’m going to start taking lessons.’ I got a lesson and then got the bug, and saw myself getting better.” Peter explained he “could play” tennis as a youngster but opted for a career as a professional footballer instead. He reminisced about his childhood summers, saying they were filled with “football, tennis, football, tennis”. He explained: “I could play when I was a kid but I didn’t pick up a racquet for 20 years. But my summers consisted of a ball and tennis racquet and when we got slightly tired of football we’d go and play tennis. “For six weeks, football, tennis, football, tennis, and by the end of that you get alright. So I was decent as a kid.” Abbey however says Peter was “playing down” his abilities on court and said he had to make a “crucial decision” between the two sports. Peter added: “It was something that I never revisited so I’m trying to get back on the horse.” Abbey and Peter began dating in 2006, tying the knot five years later. The couple now share four children together.
