 As a teenager he was part of the youth system at Swansea City before being persuaded to follow Swansea youth coach Malcolm Elias to Southampton at the age of 16 in 2000.Swansea took the case to the Football League appeals committee seeking compensation of £1.5 million.The committee later ordered Southampton to make an immediate payment of £100,000 to Swansea, as well as a further £100,000 when Crowell had made 10, 20, 30 and 40 appearances in the future and 20% of any future transfer fee that the club received for Crowell.