The 28-year-old was an automatic choice at Fratton Park but, as Darren Bent found, there is now stiff competition for the striking places at Spurs in the shape of Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

"Of course it's a gamble, but what can you do?" said Crouch today as he sat alongside Harry Redknapp, the man who will be managing him for a third time.

"I am ambitious, I want to improve myself and I want to be part of a team that I think can achieve things.

"It's going to be difficult to break into the top four, but if anyone has the potential, this club does. Harry has a great deal of belief in me and I hope I can repay him."

Asked if it worried him that England boss Fabio Capello might not look kindly on him being in and out of the Tottenham side, Crouch said: "No. I have confidence in my own ability and that, when given the opportunities, I will take them.

"Although I could have gone somewhere and been first choice regardless of how you are playing, to keep you on your toes and improve you as a player you have to have competition and I am going to work hard and earn the shirt as much as anyone else.

"I've been in and out of the England side but when I've played I've always felt I've done well and scored goals (16 of them in 34 appearances).

"I'm confident that I'll be playing every week and doing all I can to make sure I'm on that plane to South Africa (for the World Cup).

"If you want to play for England and a big club like Tottenham, you've got to make sure you're scoring goals and playing well. I've been under that pressure however long my career has been going.

"I impose most pressure on myself. I have high expectations and I've got to make sure I do the business."

The 6ft 7in striker certainly has a fan in Redknapp.

"I think if you get the right service in he's unplayable," said the 62-year-old. "Sometimes you have to learn people how to play with Peter - he does different things.

"But he must be the easiest player in the world to play with. Drop the ball up to Peter on his chest - that must be the simplest thing.

"What an outlet. It's a dream.

"I was very surprised I got him from Liverpool to Portsmouth. I didn't think they'd let him go - he did great there and scored some terrific things.

"He then did a terrific job at Portsmouth. His goals were instrumental in keeping them up. Give him the right quality balls, you can't play against him really."

Crouch stopped short of calling Redknapp a father figure, though. "I've got a dad, to be honest," he replied.

But when he was asked for the difference from other managers, Redknapp interjected with the revealing comment: "I always pick him!"

And the White Hart Lane boss added: "There's nothing to stop me playing three of them. It gives me good options. I have my best XI in mind and I know how I want to go.

"I've given myself a nice problem. I wanted Peter because of what he gives you - he holds the ball up and he scores goals."

Redknapp, hopeful Spurs can improve on their eighth place last year, described as "good business" buying Crouch for "under £10million" and selling Bent to Sunderland for a fee that could rise to £16million.

Crouch actually began his career with Tottenham more than a decade ago before moving on to Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool and then back to Portsmouth.

He added: "I certainly hope this is my last club. I'd like to stay as long as possible and see my career out."

While Redknapp has decisions to make on who to leave out up front, he has serious injury worries in central defence, with Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson almost certain to miss the start of the season and Ledley King doubtful.

Even if the expected £8million signing of Newcastle's Sebastien Bassong goes through, he is suspended for the first two games because of his sending-off against Fulham at the end of last season.