• Forward retires with 42 caps and 22 goals for England • ‘Our wonderful game has given me everything’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The former England striker Peter Crouch has announced his retirement from football at the age of 38.

The 6ft 7in forward made his English league debut in 2000 with QPR and went on to play for nine clubs, including Liverpool, Portsmouth, Tottenham and Stoke before spending the second half of last season at Burnley.

Crouch’s first England cap came against Colombia in May 2005 and he played 42 times for the Three Lions, scoring 22 goals.

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In a statement on Twitter, Crouch said: “After a lot of deliberation this summer I have decided to retire from football. Our wonderful game has given me everything. I’m so thankful to everyone who helped me get there and to help me stay there for so long.

“If you told me at 17 I’d play in World Cups, get to a Champions League final, win the FA Cup and get 100 Premier League goals I would have avoided you at all costs. It’s been an absolute dream come true.”

Crouch scored 108 top-flight goals in 468 appearances for seven different clubs and also holds the record for the most headed goals, 51, in Premier League history. He played at the 2006 World Cup and scored his first competitive goal for England during a 2-0 group-stage victory against Trinidad and Tobago. He was also selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The former England striker Alan Shearer wrote on Twitter: “Congrats big man, a brilliant career and good luck going forward.” Current England players Harry Maguire and Jack Butland, a team-mate of Crouch’s during his time at Stoke, also paid tribute to the striker. Maguire wrote: “Incredible career. Enjoy retirement.” Butland added: “Been an honour to play and share a dressing room with you big man petercrouch best of luck in the next stage of your career.”

Crouch released a book – “How to be a Footballer” – last year and has also worked in the media.

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Crouch, who won the FA Cup with Liverpool and helped them reach the 2007 Champions League final, added he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, having recently had a fourth child with his wife, Abbey Clancy.