Spurs cult hero copied Gareth Bale’s strange pre-match diet, but it didn’t work

One ex-Spurs player has revealed that he used to follow Gareth Bale’s odd diet before matches, in order to try and match his energy levels.

Gareth Bale: Tottenham’s rapid winger

Gareth Bale has been branded by some as the greatest British player of all time, and there is a reason for this.

Although many of today’s youngsters will know Bale as the footballer who wanted to be a golfer, Tottenham supporters will remember the star’s rapid pace and wand of a left foot, while he was in his prime, showcased in performances such as those unforgettable Champions League matches against Inter.

Bale registered 71 goals and 53 assists in 237 appearances during his two spells at Spurs, but the former Wales captain started many of these matches in the left-back role, with most of his goal contributions coming in his last few seasons at the club (Transfer Markt).

But Bale was far more than just a goal scorer and one former Spurs forward has revealed that he used to copy Bale’s pre-match meal, after he was baffled by how the talented young winger managed to boost his energy levels.

Peter Crouch adopted Bale’s diet

Peter Crouch played in Tottenham’s youth academy, but did not make a senior appearance until returning to the North Londoners in 2009, where he played alongside Bale for two seasons.

It was during these seasons that Crouch became influenced by his much younger teammate, as he attempted to match his level of performance by following the Welshman’s basic diet.

Speaking to Steve Sidwell on That Peter Crouch Podcast, he said: “You know, what changed for me was watching Gareth Bale.

“I’ve talked about this before, watching Gareth be the most intense runs, the most distance covered, it was ridiculous. He was one of the fittest players I’ve ever seen.

“He’d just literally have baked beans on toast every time. And I thought, ‘what is in those beans’? So I started doing it. I started doing baked beans on toast. I thought it must be the difference. It didn’t quite work for me!

“But you know when you see other people doing different things and, certainly later on in your career, you see, definitely, the chefs and stuff at the training ground have changed.”

Crouch’s obsession with discussing diets

Crouch is no stranger to bringing up the peculiar diets of his former Tottenham teammates. Last year he revealed to The Mail that Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s pre-match meal consisted of a croissant, a hot chocolate, a full-fat Coke and a packet of crisps.

Although diets in professional football have become stricter in recent years, as the need for fitness grows in importance with congested fixture schedules, there have been enough quality players who eat unconventionally, to show that there is no one diet that is right for every player.

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