Former Newcastle United and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is enjoying life in France after joining non-league side Bordeaux having already featured for Amiens in Ligue 2
Andy Carroll’s move to the French fourth tier has seen fanfare usually reserved for higher divisions.
Joining Bordeaux, a club relegated from the top-flight due to financial problems, and scoring five goals in his first three appearances has ensured a storybook beginning. Carroll is spending more in rent than he is earning in the twilight of his career but the 35-year-old is once again making waves.
Once upon a time, Carroll was generating conversation as a young star breaking through at Newcastle. A record of 30 goals in two seasons at just 21 laid the platform for a legendary career at St James’ Park but at £35million bid from Liverpool ensured a new chapter arrived early.
The scrutiny only increased upon his move to Anfield and a new pressure in a new environment arrived. Carroll did not even spend two years on Merseyside before departing once again without enhancing his reputation. Is it a move he regrets?
“I began to feel the media glare more when I left Newcastle,” Carroll told the Athletic. “At Newcastle, I was settled, I had my setup; my family, my friends, my routine. That was all I knew. I remember being in the helicopter on the way across to Liverpool feeling lost, not knowing what to expect.
“When I went to Liverpool, obviously the fee and everything… I was still only 21, had never left Newcastle, was told to pack up my life and go across there, and then it didn’t start well. The media were a lot different and I was in the spotlight on a grander scale.
“Would I rather have stayed at Newcastle? All day long, it’s my hometown club. But I don’t regret going to Liverpool, I don’t regret anything. It turned me into who I am, it made me stronger. I wouldn’t change anything.”
After leaving the Reds, Carroll made a century of appearances for West Ham before returning to Newcastle, enjoying two spells at Reading and a brief time at West Bromwich Albion. Then came the move to France, first with Amiens before joining Bordeaux.
“A lot of people fall out of love with the game and that’s where I found myself after Newcastle. But when I signed for Reading (in November 2021), I realised retirement is not what I wanted,” Carroll revealed. “I was just like: ‘No, why am I even thinking that? That’s completely not what I want.’ I want to play, I want to enjoy football, and I still do. I’ve got plenty of time to sit at home with my feet up.”
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