Peter Crouch is a columnist for Sportsmail

Transfer deadline day: those words have taken on a life of their own and created a modern phenomenon.

I've no doubt you will have been checking whatever form of media you could on Wednesday, waiting to see which players were on the move and what clubs could beat the clock to get their targets in. I'd also be willing to guess that you think deadline day is about private jets and smooth talks.

Moving clubs is a topic with which I am familiar — I've done it eight times — but my last transfer was the only occasion I've raced against time. It was an experience I'll never forget, a day filled with chicken nuggets, curry and delayed emails. Here's the story.

Stoke City have become a huge part of my life and the last six-and-a-half years have been brilliant but on August 31, 2011 I was only thinking about Tottenham. I was settled but everything changed after I walked into Harry Redknapp's office, straight into a conference call with Daniel Levy.

In a nutshell, Levy bluntly explained Tottenham were getting rid of me. Harry wanted to sign Emmanuel Adebayor, Stoke had offered big money — £16million — in a double deal for Wilson Palacios, the Honduran midfielder, and that was that. The chairman told me I was going.

A few months earlier, I'd scored the winner against AC Milan in a Champions League tie at the San Siro. I made 45 appearances and finished the campaign with 11 goals and had two years left on my contract, but Levy said I'd be frozen out. All I could think as he spoke was 'that's a bit harsh!'

Crouch fires home Tottenham's winner away to Milan in the Champions League back in 2011

It was one of Crouch's most famous goals, but a few months later he was on the way out

It was clear I wouldn't change his mind so, after some to-ing and fro-ing, we reached an agreement. I went home to meet my Dad and we jumped in the car to head to Stoke. First we stopped to get something to eat. The restaurant of choice? McDonald's at the Target Roundabout on the A40. See, I told you it was all about the glamour!

It was here, though, that things became a bit surreal. We were watching Sky Sports News as we ate and the yellow strip comes across the bottom of the screen 'PETER CROUCH IS IN A HELICOPTER ON HIS WAY TO STOKE'.

Dad and I were in stitches. There was no chopper in sight but there were plenty of nuggets and I can vividly remember tucking into them as the information rolled across in front of us.

Eventually we arrived at Stoke early in the evening and completed my medical. Tony Pulis was brilliant. He'd made the girls in the canteen stay behind and they cooked a curry for us as we waited to complete. There was me, Wilson and Cameron Jerome, who also signed, just having a bite to eat waiting for paperwork to come through. It was surreal.

Crouch and his Dad were sat eating chicken nuggets at a McDonald's on the A40 when they saw Sky Sports News report he was flying to Stoke in a helicopter

Crouch moved from Tottenham to Stoke in a frantic transfer deadline day move in 2011

Stoke's manager at the time, Tony Pulis, made Crouch feel welcome though it went to the wire

In my case, though, I had to wait and wait. The deadline, as on Wednesday, was 11pm but by 10.30pm there was no sign of the last form I needed to complete. The closer we got to the deadline, the tenser it became but, eventually, the fax machine buzzed into life and the deal was done.

People say players are ruthless but, on deadline day, clubs can be just as ruthless. It's crazy, really, waking up as a player for one team only to see your professional life change by the time you go to bed, and it puzzles me why a lot of deals get done so late.

Mind you, it's not as puzzling as why there were games scheduled on deadline day. Wasn't that unfair to 14 Premier League clubs when six had played the previous night? How were deals supposed to be done smoothly with a match in the way? It was so, so weird.

We welcomed Badou Ndiaye from Galatasaray to Stoke but, due to delays in Turkey, the deal dragged on and the first I knew that everything had been completed was when he was paraded on the pitch during the break as I was going through a warm-up for the second half. Madness!

Stoke signed Badou Ndiaye on deadline day last week and introduced him to the Bet365 Stadium crowd at half-time during their draw with Watford

Leicester's Riyad Mahrez was the subject of offers from Manchester City on transfer deadline day - but the move didn't materialise before the deadline

The window has critics but I do think it is good and serves a purpose. I remember when transfers could be negotiated until the end of March — it was ridiculous — but a situation like that leaves clubs with all kinds of problems.

Riyad Mahrez might not see things like that but at least he and Leicester know where they stand and nobody is wondering whether a bid will arrive next week. He will be angry, of course, but just because he hasn't ended up at Manchester City now doesn't mean to say it is over.

He should follow Philippe Coutinho's example, who put his head down and worked hard after Liverpool refused to sell him to Barcelona last summer. If Mahrez does that, big opportunities will be there when the window drama begins again.

CHELSEA HAVE LANDED THE LEAGUE'S SECOND BEST LOOKING NO 9!

So there I was, sat at home a couple of weeks ago, when my phone started to beep and I heard I was trending on Twitter.

I didn't expect to see my name linked with Chelsea but that was the situation. It was all speculation, I suppose. Of course it was nice to get linked with a club of that stature — particularly as they were the club I used to watch when I was a kid — but I didn't think much more about it.

There was never any strong interest. I heard Antonio Conte quite likes me as a player but I was only ever concentrating on Stoke. I didn't expect anything to happen and, as it turns out, Chelsea have gone on to make a great signing.

Chelsea signed Olivier Giroud from Arsenal on deadline day, ending their striker search

The French striker is introduced to the Stamford Bridge crowd during their game with Bournemouth on Wednesday night

I've always admired Olivier Giroud. He is France's No 9, he's been to the World Cup and the Euros and worn that shirt with distinction. He's a top striker and maybe he didn't get as many chances as he deserved at Arsenal.

Conte likes playing with big target men and you only have to think about how he used Graziano Pelle when he was in charge of Italy. Given Giroud's ability and how Conte wants to play, he will be perfect for Chelsea.

He was one of the best signings of the window. He is good technically, strong and great in the air. I'd go as far as to say they got themselves the division's second best looking target man!

Giroud and Crouch compete for the ball during a 2013 meeting between Arsenal and Stoke

THIS IS THE MOST EXCITING PREMIER LEAGUE SURVIVAL FIGHT FOR YEARS

The fight for survival has become the new title race. While we all know who will become champions, nobody can say for sure who will be relegated in May.

And that's where the excitement will come in the closing months of the season. I've never known nine teams be under threat with three months to go but that will guarantee the focus remains on the bottom half of the Premier League. Be honest, it's not exciting seeing who finishes fourth, is it?

With relegation, people's jobs are in jeopardy. It is a huge, huge thing being relegated for a city, for a club. We were under the dreaded line in the bottom three a couple of weeks ago and it was an awful feeling. The danger of the situation became real then.

You have got a responsibility to the staff and supporters. We shouldn't be down there but I feel we have turned a corner. Paul Lambert has come in and it was great to start off with a win against Huddersfield and then follow up with a draw against Watford.

Stoke manager Paul Lambert celebrates during their important 2-0 win over Huddersfield

Joe Allen is all smiles after scoring Stoke's opening goal in the home win over Huddersfield

Yes, we should be beating Watford at home. But that is two clean sheets in consecutive games — the first time we have done that in the Premier League since last April — and we look very solid. Everyone has been very impressed with the new boss and the regime.

I've got real confidence we'll get out of the situation but there can't be any complacency. Look at Swansea. Where have they come from? You'd never have said they would beat Liverpool and Arsenal but they are off the bottom and have momentum.

Bournemouth are another side to watch. Nobody would have thought they could beat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge but they were superb. Results like that make this the most dramatic survival fight in recent years — when previously could you say the bottom is more dramatic than the top?

WE'RE NOT RETURNING TO AGE OF THE X-RATED TACKLE DESPITE CITY PROTESTS

There have been some really poor tackles on Manchester City players this week and Pep Guardiola is understandably furious.

Bernardo Silva added his voice to the argument and urged referees to give 'the artists' — as Pep calls them — more protection because they feel like they are being deliberately targeted by the opposition.

You can see why they have such thoughts. Leroy Sane is out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage after a bad, bad challenge from Cardiff's Joe Bennett, while Brahim Diaz was lucky to escape serious injury after West Brom's Matt Phillips clattered into him.

Leroy Sane is out for six weeks with ligament damage after this Joe Bennett tackle

Sane - and Manchester City - have been the victim of some dangerous challenges of late

I am not defending those challenges whatsoever. The one on Sane, especially, was unacceptable. What I would say, though, is I can see why teams will be more physical against City. It is impossible to play them at football, as they are so good, so there has to be another way to disrupt them.

What I don't accept is hearing people say those challenges are evidence that we are creeping back to a time when horrible tackles were normal. It is nowhere near like it used to be and referees do give skilful players more protection.

But when I look back at videos from older generations, when defenders were trying to take George Best's legs off, that's a world away from what we see today.