Highlights
- Former England striker Andy Carroll, 37, has revealed he was sexually assaulted in 2021
- The attack happened at his home during his second spell at Newcastle United, carried out by an acquaintance of his former partner
- The attacker was convicted of sexual offences, sentenced to three years in prison, and placed on the Sex Offender Register
- Carroll disclosed the attack in his new autobiography, Owning It, released this week
Andy Carroll has revealed he was sexually assaulted in 2021, in an account that only appears in his new autobiography after he says he nearly left it out entirely.
Carroll's career
Carroll came through Newcastle United's academy before a £35 million move to Liverpool in 2011 made him one of the most expensive British players in Premier League history at the time. He went on to play for West Ham, returned to Newcastle for a second spell — the period during which the assault took place — and won nine caps for England. He now plays for and co-owns Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League South, having briefly managed the club last season.
What Carroll says happened
Carroll, now player and co-owner of National League South club Dagenham & Redbridge, wrote that the assault took place at his home while he was playing for hometown club Newcastle United. A man connected to his former partner had come to watch a boxing match and was due to stay the night. Carroll says he had already found the man's behaviour unsettling before going to bed, and that he woke to being assaulted. He says he threw the man out of the house, then knocked him unconscious when the man tried to get back in.
Carroll called the police immediately afterwards and says he was "sobbing" in the arms of his children's nanny. The man was subsequently charged, found guilty of sexual offences, sentenced to three years in prison, placed on the Sex Offender Register, and banned from the village where Carroll lived.
Why he's speaking now
Carroll described giving evidence in court as "humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous," and says he kept the assault largely private in the years since. He wrote that he and his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale, spent a long time discussing whether to include it in the book at all, and that he avoided his publisher for a period while deciding. "I was sexually assaulted, there I said it," Carroll wrote. "Scary to talk about but it's made me the person I am today as much as any of the good stuff. And if me talking about it helps just one person then good, it will have been worth it."
He said the impact has stayed with him well beyond the incident itself: "What happened to me affected every facet of my life. I'd think about it every day, making it difficult to focus on anything else, including football."
Frequently asked questions
- When did the assault happen?
In 2021, at Carroll's home during his second spell playing for Newcastle United.
- What happened to the attacker?
He was charged with sexual offences, found guilty, sentenced to three years in prison, placed on the Sex Offender Register, and banned from entering the village where Carroll lived.
- Why did Carroll decide to reveal it now?
He included the account in his new autobiography, Owning It, released this week, after lengthy discussions with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale. He says he hopes speaking about it publicly can help others who have been through something similar.
- Where can I read the full account?
It's detailed in Carroll's autobiography, Owning It, published this week.
