* Lanky England striker with old boss for third time
* Returns to club where he began as a trainee
(adds detail, quotes)
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, July 27 - Tottenham Hotspur completed the
signing of Peter Crouch from Portsmouth on Monday after the
England striker passed a medical and agreed personal terms, the
London club said on their website (www.tottenhamhotspur.com).
The deal reunites Crouch with Harry Redknapp, his former
manager at Portsmouth and Southampton, and takes him full circle
back to White Hart Lane where he spent two years as a trainee
before being released without playing a first-team game.
No fee was announced but local media speculated that Spurs
had offered around 10 million pounds ($16 million) for the
28-year-old former Liverpool forward who turned down a move to
Sunderland last week.
Crouch was Portsmouth's top scorer last season with 16 goals
in 49 games and the south coast club said they were reluctant to
let him go.
"We are sorry to see Peter go both as a player and a person
and would like to thank him for playing a key role in keeping
the club in the Premier League last season," a spokesman said on
the club's website (www.portsmouthfc.co.uk).
"His sale was necessitated by the club's commitment to repay
scheduled debts while we are in a transitional period of
completing the takeover.
"We will now be looking to add fresh faces to the first-team
squad as soon as possible."
Portsmouth are in the process of being bought by a group of
investors from the United Arab Emirates led by Sulaiman
al-Fahim.
Crouch's arrival at Spurs is likely to clear the way for the
departure of striker Darren Bent, with Sunderland showing
interest if the clubs can agree a fee for the player Spurs
bought from Charlton Athletic for 16.5 million two years ago.
(Editing by Justin Palmer and Sonia Oxley; To query or comment
on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com))