Steven Croft interview part three: The ex-Lancashire captain's early days at Blackpool and current plans with Lytham
Steven Croft states he was open to a number of different sports as a youngster before setting his sights on cricket.
The 40-year-old has recently announced his retirement from playing after making over 600 appearances for Lancashire across all formats of the game, with his honours including the County Championship in 2011 and the T20 Blast as captain in 2015.
Croft will now move into coaching at Old Trafford full time after occupying a hybrid role in the last 12 months.
The all-rounder’s cricketing journey started in Blackpool, alongside an opportunity to represent a top flight team in football.
“I probably didn’t know cricket was a career until I was an early teenager,” he said.
“I was football mad, and played for Blackpool Town, and trialled around at Wimbledon when they were in the Premiership.
“I was always a Blackpool fan. I love going down to Bloomfield Road. Sport played a massive part in my development as a cricketer and as a person.
“I always loved going to school because it was an outlet for sport - I played everything. I wasn’t the best with my books, but the vehicle of school gave me sport, which I loved.
“It probably wasn’t until around 15 and 16 I went after cricket. Lancashire had their cricket academy, so that’s when I thought I wanted to be a cricketer and give it my all, and it paid off.”
Some of Croft’s earliest cricketing experiences came with Blackpool Cricket Club, with the all rounder admitting he’s grateful for the opportunities he received at Stanley Park.
“The club and the people there were fantastic,” he added.
“I joined when I was around 10-years-old, and quickly developed from the junior teams, to playing fourth team and third team of senior men’s cricket.
“I then got my debut as a 13-year-old, and it broke Fred’s record at the time. It was an early exposure to senior cricket which put me in good stead, playing against some really good pros.
“I learnt a lot down at Blackpool cricket club, with people who have been around taking me under their wing really.
“I still enjoy going down to this day and joining my old man for a pint.”
In recent times, Croft has represented Lytham Cricket club alongside his duties with Lancashire, and remains open to playing for them again in the future.
“I’d still like to play,” he stated.
“I’ll always have that competitive nature in me, whether it’s league cricket or a bit of paddle or tennis - I still need to get that out of me somehow and I don’t think hitting the kids over the fence in the backyard will cut that.
“There’ll be a few games for Lytham hopefully in the summer, I’ll always have a passion to pick up a bat as long as I can walk and run.
“I made the decision to retire this year, and then I got two hundreds in a row for Lytham, so it was in my mind that it is my only cricket now.”