Peter Crouch once forked out £600 for a taxi driver ahead of playing Newcastle United - because he had forgotten his "lucky pants".
Crouch's wife and Strictly Come Dancing winner Abbey Clancy made the startling revelation on Premier League entertainment show Back of the Net.
The former England international joined Liverpool in 2005 and spent three seasons on Merseyside before returning to Portsmouth.
It was during this spell at Anfield where suffered a drought in front of goal, and Abbey revealed how lucky underwear helped her husband rediscover his form.
But ahead of a clash with United, Crouch had forgotten the pants and panicked.
Abbey said: “I went shopping with my mum and we found these lucky pants and we bought him them. He wore them and he couldn’t stop scoring!
"Then he was playing Newcastle and he forgot them so he paid a taxi driver £600 to go and get them.”
Crouch turned out for Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Stoke City among other clubs in his lengthy playing career.
He retired from football in July after a short spell with Burnley at the age of 38.
Asked whether she was enjoying life since her husband's retirement, she added: “He’s never at home.
"He sold retirement to me saying we were going to go to the gym together, go to lunch together – I haven’t seen him!”
This episode of Back of the Net will be available on Tuesday evening, only on Amazon Prime Video.
