Former Newcastle United centre-forward Andy Carroll (34) has given a wide-ranging interview to L’Equipe on the eve of the Toons’ first home game in the Champions League group stage against Paris Saint-Germain.
After unremarkable stints on short-term deals at Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Reading, the England international has sealed a surprising move to Ligue 2 side Amiens SC this summer, given the Royals were relegated to League One. So far, Carroll has only featured five times for Omar Daf’s Unicorns, who are currently seventh in Ligue 2 standings, due to a period of adjustment to French football. “It’s a different football from the one I knew in England, where you are asked to run and press until you can’t take it anymore… Here, it’s a little more tactical, I have to spend my energy only in certain situations.”
Carroll has signed a two-year deal with Amiens. “When my agent talked to me about Amiens for the first time, I said to him: ‘Let’s see how it looks’. I saw the town, the stadium, the facilities and I liked it.” Carroll’s shock move to Amiens may not be the most surprising one in his career. In the market for a centre-forward after Fernando Torres’ deadline day €59m transfer to Chelsea FC, Liverpool offered a then staggering €41m to Newcastle for Carroll.
The Gateshead-born striker revealed to L’Equipe that he wanted to stay at St James’ Park. “From the moment Liverpool made this incredible bid on deadline day, I found myself in a helicopter, without really understanding why. As I was injured, I remember hoping to fail my medical.” However, with the benefit of hindsight, Carroll believes the move to Kenny Dalglish’s Reds was a good thing to happen to him. “This helped me grow up by taking me out of my comfort zone. Because I knew nothing about life and football, apart from Newcastle.“