On this week’s episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, we’re joined by one of the Premier League’s original centre-forward royalty… Les Ferdinand.

Before the goal compilations, before the Sky Sports montages, before strikers were measured by pressing data and heat maps, there was “Sir Les”.

QPR icon. Newcastle hero. The man leading the line when the Premier League still felt brand new. A proper No.9. Power, presence, goals everywhere he went. If you grew up in the 90s, you knew exactly what Les Ferdinand meant.

He joins Pete, Sids and Chris to talk about the journey from West London non-league graft to becoming one of the most feared forwards in the country. There’s the unbelievable story of starting out as a goalkeeper, the Turkey move that changed his mentality forever, and the sliding doors moment with Manchester United that could have rewritten football history.

We get into loyalty, ambition, dressing room politics and the brutal advice from Ray Wilkins that stuck with him for life. It’s honest, funny, reflective and packed with the kind of insight only someone who’s lived it can give.

We’ve split our conversation Les into two parts, and after we transition out of the nostalgia fuelled Part 1, things immediately descend into remote chaos.

We build up to Macclesfield’s FA Cup tie and what it could mean for the pod, update the leaderboard as the pressure ramps up, and dive into this week’s Paddy Power predictions with a North London Derby thrown into the mix. There’s a live package opened on air that nobody fully understands, some technical mishaps, a bit of shouting about scores, and the sort of disorder that only seems to happen when we’re not all in the same room.

Part 2 with Les drops next week. Trust us, you’ll want it.

00:00 – Intro: One of the Premier League’s original No.9s

02:12 – Early career doubts & never expecting to go pro

05:48 – Growing up in West London & early football influences

08:36 – Playing as a GOALKEEPER for three years

11:04 – The hat-trick that changed his position forever

14:22 – Non-league graft & the reality of rejection

17:10 – FA Vase Final at Wembley before the big time

20:45 – The move to Turkey: why he said yes

23:58 – First training session… 30,000+ fans watching

26:41 – Battling imposter syndrome abroad

29:55 – The mindset shift that transformed him

33:18 – Returning to QPR a completely different striker

37:42 – Becoming one of the Premier League’s most feared forwards

41:06 – Manchester United interest becomes real…

43:45 - Part 1 with Les ends

44:00 – Macclesfield FA Cup update ahead of kick-off

46:50 – Instagram shoutout (Greatest Kits)

50:30 – Catchphrase encounters in Soho

54:07 – Paddy Power segment begins

1:08:50 – On-air package chaos!

1:10:40 – Sign off… tune in for part 2 next week

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at www.theaa.com/Crouch T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

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EP. 360 | Les Ferdinand: “I Was Minutes From Man United…” From Goalkeeper To 90’s Prem Icon - Part 1