Former England striker Peter Crouch has humorously reflected on an intense celebratory hug with captain Harry Kane following England's dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Crouch admitted that the moment, which saw him embrace Kane and declare "I f***ing love you," felt like an "embarrassing" comparison to the viral internet personality known as Salt Bae.
Crouch, who had attended the last-16 World Cup match, was swept up in the jubilation after Jude Bellingham's brace and Kane's penalty secured the win, despite Jarell Quansah receiving a red card in the 54th minute. In the midst of the celebrations, Crouch realized his enthusiastic embrace with Kane was being captured by numerous photographers.
"And then it dawned on me - I'm the fing new Salt Bae! I've gone full Salt Bae," Crouch said, speaking to Prime Video after the match. He described it as a "full kit wer moment" and even considered joining the team to sing "Wonderwall," but ultimately refrained, feeling the players deserved the credit.
Crouch and Kane share a history, having been teammates at Tottenham Hotspur during Kane's early career. Crouch was with the club when Kane began to break through into the first team.
The comparison to Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gokce, stems from the chef's controversial appearance at the 2022 World Cup final. Gokce was widely criticized for gatecrashing Argentina's celebrations, going onto the pitch, interacting with players including Lionel Messi, and holding the World Cup trophy. Following his World Cup antics, Gokce faced repercussions, including being banned from attending the US Open Cup.
