Strikers Crouch and Wells and their futures
Peter Crouch ended last season with the Clarets; Nahki Wells, a Burnley player, spent virtually the entire 2018/19 season on loan with Queens Park Rangers, but what lies ahead for the pair as the new season approaches.
Crouch was on a short term contract with us, having signed from Stoke at the end of last season. The form of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood up front, coupled with an appendix operation, limited him to just six substitute appearances and since the end of the season it’s all gone quiet.
Will he be returning? Will he retire? Will he play elsewhere? None of those questions have been answered as yet but the Daily Mirror are reporting that, although we are keen to bring him back to Turf Moor, he has received a lucrative offer from China to continue his playing career. With offers from both Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT, he’s got a number of options but there very definitely hasn’t been any sign of him at Gawthorpe this week when the players reported back.
Nahki Wells hasn’t been there either, but that was expected with the players who have been involved in internationals recently still to report back. Since the end of last season he’s played four times for Bermuda, once in a friendly ahead of three games in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in which he scored twice, a penalty in a defeat against Costa Rica and a goal in their 2-0 win against Nicaragua.
He will return almost two years after first signing for us but it hasn’t been a hugely successful time. He made ten substitute appearances in his first season but his football last season was exclusively in the Championship with QPR.
Speaking to the Royal Gazette in Bermuda, Wells said of his future: “I’ll go back to Burnley and give it my best effort and see where that gets me. I’d still love my opportunity in the Premier League, which is still possible of course. If that doesn’t transpire then something else will open up for me.
“The ideal scenario would be just to be given a chance; a chance that I can try and really grasp. That’s my agenda but whether that’s the manager’s agenda, who knows. I need to give myself a chance to get in the team. If not, I won’t be too disappointed to move on and see what else is on the horizon. Of course, it has to suit myself and what my ambitions are.”
He added: “It’s kind of been a shock to have to try to take what little opportunities I’ve been given. I’ve never had that kind of setback before. I’ve always been the main man, done well and won Golden Boots. I just need a little bit of luck at that football club; I haven’t any luck since I’ve been there. I’ve been a bit unfortunate, but that’s football sometimes.”
He did admit that he wasn’t happy with his return of just nine goals for QPR last season and said: “It’s not the worst situation to be in and I’ve proven my fitness. It was still a mediocre season from my point of view and that of the clubs. I wouldn’t change it, though; I was happy and got back to playing football. I still know I could have done better and offered the club more. I’ve got a big point to prove. The desire is there to dig very deep and show everyone that I’m still a proven goalscorer and that level.
“There’s some uncertainty regarding my future; that’s obvious. And I just know it’s a big, big season for me. The Gold Cup kind of sets me up for next season. I’m off the back of three games and a couple of goals; that’s what I would have liked before the competition. I’ve had some really good performances and led the line well in all of the fixtures, but I’d have liked to have been a bit more clinical in front of goal. It became easy to get opportunities in all three games and sometimes it’s easy to take that for granted.”
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