Peter Crouch steps up 'new love' as Abbey Clancy jokes 'don't come home'

Abbey Clancy has playfully warned her husband Peter Crouch not to "come home" as he nurtures his newfound passion. The model recently disclosed that the former Premier League footballer has been sneaking out early in the morning to pursue a new hobby.

The 39-year-old model woke up on holiday to discover her husband was "nowhere to be seen" after he took up another sport. Peter later revealed that he had started tennis lessons after being inspired by their teenage daughter Sophia.

The ex-England international, who has previously expressed his love for golf and padel on their podcast, The Therapy Crouch, is now eager to participate in tennis tournaments.

On The Therapy Crouch, Peter shared: "Genuinely, I feel like I want to start competing because I had a couple of lessons and I felt good and I wanted to see how far I can get with it."

Peter later expressed his enthusiasm for entering a tennis tournament, following accusations from the show's producer Ross that he was "chickening out", reports Wales Online .

Abbey retorted: "I don't like men who chicken out. You are so confident."

Peter reassured his wife that he "wants to compete". She responded: "Good, make sure you win, or don't come home."

Peter "caught the bug" for tennis when he decided to enroll in lessons after taking 14-year-old Sophia to her coaching. It came just weeks after he was spotted at Wimbledon with Abbey and Sophia.

In a previous podcast episode, Abbey revealed: "Pete's found a new love. So everyday on holiday, I'd wake up, Pete nowhere to be seen. I'd be like, 'Where the f**k has he been going?'".

"He'd been booking himself tennis lessons. Tennis lessons, taking Sophia, who is doing the lessons anyway with her coach and Pete's booked himself in. And he's also joined a tennis club here, at home, and he's in a tennis competition and a tennis team."

Peter responded by saying: "You know what's happened? I've got the bug massively. I was taking Sophia and said, 'Do you know what, I'm going to start taking lessons.' I got a lesson and then got the bug, and saw myself getting better."

He went on to explain that he "could play" tennis as a youngster but chose a career as a professional footballer instead. He fondly recalled his childhood summers, filled with "football, tennis, football, tennis".

He elaborated: "I could play when I was a kid but I didn't pick up a racquet for 20 years. But my summers consisted of a ball and tennis racquet and when we got slightly tired of football we'd go and play tennis.

"For six weeks, football, tennis, football, tennis, and by the end of that you get alright. So I was decent as a kid."

Abbey, however, suggested Peter was "playing down" his abilities on court and mentioned he had to make a "crucial decision" between the two sports. Peter added: "It was something that I never revisited so I'm trying to get back on the horse."