The most obvious way to measure a centre-forward’s worth is via the number of goals he scores. In this regard, Andy Carroll can hold his head high, finding the back of the net 98 times in 369 appearances across a 20-year career. There are also 53 assists to account for.
Yet occasionally there is another way to determine how good a striker is, or was. It’s rare, and Carroll is in the company of just a few with this estimation. It’s when a player becomes a ‘type’.
This summer a number of leading clubs have been in the market for a finisher and it is notable how often players linked to them have been described as an ‘Andy Carroll type’.
That’s because, after years of almost going out of existence, big, physical targetmen are back in fashion, and the current Dagenham and Redbridge frontman excelled in this role for several seasons in the Premier League.
So much so, he has come to epitomise it. By default, it made the player a brand of sorts, the sight of his 6ft 4 frame outmuscling a defender in the air, his ponytail flapping, familiar to us all. It has also made him an extremely wealthy individual.
How Much Is Andy Carroll Worth?
Several seasons spent in the highly lucrative Premier League, along with all manner of endorsements – from modelling for the fashion chain H&M to a long-standing boot deal with Umbro – resulted in Carroll being listed as the 14th wealthiest sports person under the age of 30 in a 2019 Sunday Times Rich List.
At the time, his wealth was estimated at £19m. Pertinently, that figure will not have risen by much since, or at least not via his salaries, that have decreased at the same rate as his stock has diminished.
At Bordeaux he was said to be on £1,344 a month, which remarkably is less than France’s minimum wage.
Even so, profits made by a recently founded property company will have certainly boosted his fortune to over the £20m mark by now, 3 Property North East proving to be an initial success.
Early Years
Andrew Thomas Carroll was born in Gateshead on January 6th,1989. From a young age his talent shone out, gaining the attention of local scouts as a left winger for Low Fell Juniors and Monkton Juniors until a growth spurt saw him repositioned up front.
Aged ten he joined Redheugh Boys, the club that had brought through Paul Gascoigne a few year earlier and it was here where Newcastle United began to take note of the gangly kid with the fierce left foot.
Joining the Magpie’s Centre of Excellence was a dream come true for a lifelong member of the Toon Army.
Such was his heightened ability, Carroll rose through the ranks, thriving across every age group, and such was his loyalty he dismissed serious interest from elsewhere, with West Ham and Manchester United both making enquiries.
Aged 14, his family cobbled together enough money for Carroll to purchase a season ticket for St James Park, a seat close to the touchline in the Milburn Stand, but just three years later that seat was left unoccupied, with Carroll instead on the pitch.
Having impressed in a late cameo away to Palermo in a UEFA Cup game, the teen was given minutes in a FA Cup game at home to Birmingham.
That summer, Carroll was sent to Preston North End for a six-month loan, returning as a more complete package after making 11 outings in the Championship. He scored his first competitive goal for his beloved Magpies on January 10th, 2009, ironically against West Ham, his early suitor.
It didn’t take long before the striker became a terrace hero to the Geordie masses, who appreciated his commitment and physical attributes. In return, he stayed with the club when they went down, firing 19 goals to get them back up.
This brings us to two key events in the winter of 2010, several months after the player was handed the iconic number 9 shirt, previously adorned by Alan Shearer.
First, Carroll was handed a bumper five-year contract, to keep him in the North-East. Then he thumped home a 25-yard cracker against a Liverpool side undergoing renovation.
Transfer To Liverpool
Presently, Liverpool are firm favourites in the football betting to retain their league crown but it was a very different story back in 2010.
The previous season, the Reds finished seventh, exiting both domestic cups early for good measure. They hadn’t won a title in the Premier League era.
This for sure played a part in Fernando Torres’ decision to join Chelsea on transfer deadline day at the start of the year, a seismic transfer that prompted Liverpool to swiftly spend big on two new signings to replace him.
First Carroll arrived for £35m. Hours later, Luis Suarez was secured from Ajax for £28.9m. Of course, in hindsight, we know that the latter proved to be the most successful buy, Carroll’s two years at Anfield generally viewed in the negative.
Yet still, there were moments to savour, not least a late winner against Everton in a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Off-Pitch Controversies
Regrettably, Carroll has made as many headlines for his off-pitch actions as for his footballing acumen, with a catalogue of controversies on record.
In 2010, the 21-year-old went to court for hospitalising a man following a brawl in a Newcastle nightclub. The player subsequently paid out £2500 in compensation to his victim.
As recently as last summer, he was again involved in a dust-up, this time on a Mayfair street at 1am. Naturally the paparazzi were close at hand, to capture every moment.
In between, there has been numerous messy break-ups, alleged scraps with team-mates, and marathon drinking sessions turning sour, behaviour that has been exacerbated by prolonged spells on the sidelines due to a career-long succession of injuries.
Post-Liverpool
A loan stint at West Ham was made permanent in 2013 and it was in East London where Carroll spent the longest period at a single club, staying for six years all told.
Though he scored a respectable 26 goals in 102 appearances for the Hammers, once again injuries plagued him. In 2019, he made an emotional return to St James Park, signing on a one-year deal.
Goals were in scant supply this time out but the love he received from the Toon Army helped heal old wounds after the fractious nature of his departure a decade before.
Spells at Reading and West Brom came next, both on short-term deals, before Carroll headed to the continent, turning out for Amiens and Bordeaux. By now however, he was a fading force, waned by age and too many injuries.
Now a very seasoned 36, what’s the betting there are a few more goals to come at Dagenham. But perhaps too, more headlines of the wrong kind?
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
