England’s tallest striker is 18-year-old wonderkid who towers over Peter Crouch
An 18-year-old player has taken over as England’s tallest striker, already surpassing even Liverpool and England legend Peter Crouch’s 6ft7in frame
Peter Crouch was known for towering above other players(Image: Getty Images)
England’s new tallest striker towers above Liverpool and England legend Peter Crouch at just 18 years of age.
Throughout his impressive career, spanning 2000 to 2019, former striker Crouch held the distinction of being one of the nation’s tallest outfield players, which he put to good advantage at Anfield as he played his part in the epic 3-2 FA Cup final win over West Ham in 2006.
Despite his lanky 6ft7in frame and slender build, he displayed remarkable technical ability for his size. The now-popular podcaster and TNT Sports pundit also plied his trade for clubs including Southampton, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Stoke City, while also earning 42 England caps.
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However, until very recently, a lower-league player called Kyle Hudlin had claimed the crown as England’s tallest striker, measuring an extraordinary 6ft9in. The 25-year-old centre-forward started his career at Solihull before moving to National League side Solihull Moors.
He was then sent on loan to Huddersfield Town’s U21s, AFC Wimbledon, Burton Albion and Newport County. At the start of this campaign, Hudlin made a bold permanent move to Vietnamese top-flight club Nam Dinh FC.
Despite dwarfing his opponents, he has managed zero goals and just one assist across five outings, with his side in ninth position. Now that he no longer plays in England, another player has inherited Hudlin’s title as the tallest striker in the country.
Meet Nelson Eze, an 18-year-old currently playing for Ipswich Town’s U18s. Eze stands at a whopping 6ft9in already despite being a teenager and still having plenty of time to grow even further.
Eze made the switch from Norwich City to Ipswich in 2023 and put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Portman Road in December 2024. He recently enjoyed a month-long loan stint at Dartford in the Isthmian League Premier Division before returning to The Tractor Boys.
After making his debut for Dartford, his manager Adrian Pennock praised his performance: “I thought he did really well. He had only met his team-mates prior to kick-off and didn’t know how we played, but we have a great dressing room.
“It was a good debut for him, especially coming on in a difficult game, but I’m sure he learnt a lot. We’re very pleased to have him on board and to be involved in a win with us straight away is a great start.”
Eze has played football across the U18s Premier League, FA Youth Cup, Premier League 2 and the Premier League Cup this season. Defenders everywhere will be hoping for a stop to his growth spurt, lest he reaches 7ft and becomes an unstoppable presence in the air.
Despite always standing out and often being teased for his height, particularly during his younger days, cult hero Peter Crouch, now 45, insisted after hanging up his boots that he wouldn’t trade being tall for anything, even if given the choice.
He previously explained: “I wouldn’t change it for the world. That is me. I have always been a head above everyone else. People find it interesting, but for me it is just who I am. Being different and standing out is all I’ve ever known. It is easier now I’m older – but as a teenager it can be hard being different.
“I used humour as a defence mechanism. If people were going to take the piss out of me at school, I would say it funnier and quicker. That kills it stone dead. Being good at football helps. But having a sense of humour really helped me as a kid, so I kept doing it. But it came from using it as a shield and protection.”
