In east London, where Andy Carroll is now playing for Dagenham & Redbridge in the Conference South, the former England striker has disclosed a deeply personal part of his life in his new autobiography. Carroll writes that he was sexually assaulted in 2021, an experience which he says continues to affect him both away from the game and on the pitch.
The news from the club
Carroll’s autobiography, Owning It: My Untold Story, went on sale on Thursday. The book follows his professional career, which has taken him from Newcastle United to Liverpool and West Ham United, while also addressing events beyond football.
The 36-year-old says the assault happened after a Newcastle match during his second spell with his boyhood club, where he began his senior career and played again between 2019 and 2021.
After returning home, Carroll found a well-known acquaintance of his then partner at the property. The individual had earlier attended a boxing event. Carroll says he became uneasy during their interactions, went to bed early and felt dizzy after drinking. He later awoke to find the man attempting to perform a sexual act on him beneath the bed covers.
Carroll says he forced the man out of the house, then knocked him unconscious when he tried to get back inside. He called police and was comforted by his children’s nanny afterwards.
“I am frightened even to think about it, and until now only a small number of people knew,” Carroll writes.
The former Liverpool and West Ham forward explains that he debated whether to include the incident in the book, but decided that speaking publicly could be worthwhile if it offered help to even one person. He says the trauma has not faded and that it affects every part of his life, including his ability to focus on football.
Police arrested the man despite his denial of the accusation. Carroll, then aged 32, was required to give evidence at the subsequent trial, an ordeal he describes as humiliating, shameful and extremely distressing.
The attacker was ultimately convicted of sexual offences and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also placed on the National Sex Offenders Register and barred from entering the town where Carroll lived.
