Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand want 'highly embarrassing’ guard of honour scrapped ahead of Chelsea's gesture for Premier League champions Liverpool
By James Hilsum
Published 03/05/2025 at 15:38 GMT+1
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Chelsea's players will welcome Liverpool's players with a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge, in what is a longstanding tradition in English football. However, Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand explained that this is not a pleasant experience for either team, and say lifting the trophy at the end of the season is rewarding enough. Arne Slot's side play their first match as champions on Sunday.
'I don't get it, it's a bit embarrassing' - Crouchy and Rio on guards of honour
Video credit: TNT Sports
Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand want the Premier League champions' guard of honour to be scrapped, after it was announced that Chelsea will pay tribute to Liverpool's achievement at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Enzo Maresca's players will applaud The Reds on the pitch in west London tomorrow, and neither Crouch nor Ferdinand can see any point in the gesture.
"I don't like it. Maybe it shows respect, but I just don't get it. I think it's a bit embarrassing for the team that comes out, and it's highly embarrassing for the team coming out onto the field. It's not for me," Crouch told TNT Sports.
Ferdinand has been on both sides of the guard of honour, having to applaud Chelsea’s players out of the Old Trafford tunnel in 2005 before Arsenal’s players welcomed Manchester United’s title-winning team as the recipients in 2013.
"I didn't like it," he reflected. "I've been fortunate enough to receive the guard of honour and been on the receiving end of it. Both are quite awkward, Crouchy is right."
Speaking about the 2005 guard of honour for Chelsea 20 years ago, Ferdinand added: "At home at Old Trafford is hugely embarrassing. You're rivalling them to try and win things, and you have to clap them out, it's horrendous.
"I don't think you'd want to do it. I don't get the sentiment, really, personally, and I don't know what it achieves."
A Blues team managed by Jose Mourinho would go on to win the match 3-1, to which Ferdinand quipped: "We gave them huge confidence, didn't we?"
Fast-forward eight years, and Ferdinand was part of the United team which won their most recent Premier League title.
Former Gunners striker Robin van Persie was in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side that day after leaving north London for Old Trafford the previous summer.
Ferdinand admits the gesture did not sit well with him and thinks Van Persie would have found the whole episode to be rather embarrassing.
"It's a little awkward, I feel like. It's not what I would choose to walk to just because you've won the league. I feel like when you lift a trophy at the end of the season is enough, you've worked your socks off to get there. For Robin van Persie, he would've felt like the most awkward person.
"His [Van Persie] whole purpose for leaving and joining Man United was to win the league."
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