England has a new tallest striker, and he is just 18 years old. Nelson Eze, who plays for Ipswich Town's Under-18s, stands at an astonishing 6ft 9in, surpassing the legendary Peter Crouch, who was 6ft 7in. Eze joined Ipswich from Norwich City in 2023 and signed his first professional contract in December 2024.
Eze recently completed a one-month loan spell at Dartford in the Isthmian League Premier Division. After his debut, Dartford manager Adrian Pennock said: 'I thought he did really well. He had only met his team-mates prior to kick-off and didn't know how we played, but we have a great dressing room. It was a good debut for him, especially coming on in a difficult game.'
Before Eze, the tallest English striker was Kyle Hudlin, also 6ft 9in, who now plays for Vietnamese side Nam Dinh FC. Hudlin has yet to score in five appearances this season. Eze has played in the U18s Premier League, FA Youth Cup, Premier League 2, and the Premier League Cup this season.
Peter Crouch, now 45, reflected on his height, saying: 'I wouldn’t change it for the world. Being different and standing out is all I’ve ever known. It is easier now I’m older – but as a teenager it can be hard being different. I used humour as a defence mechanism.'
