Former England, Liverpool and Newcastle footballer Andy Carroll has revealed that he was sexually assaulted 'a few years ago'. The 37-year-old opens up about the experience in his new autobiography, 'Owning It: In My Own Words', published this week.
Only a few knew before publication
Carroll wrote that only a few of his loved ones were aware of the attack prior to the book's release. He came close to leaving the account out, but a series of conversations with his partner, Lou Teasdale, convinced him to include details 'at the very last minute'.
He hopes his decision to come forward will help others deal with the potential repercussions of similar ordeals they may have endured.
'Scary to even think about'
Carroll, who won nine caps for England between 2010 and 2012, wrote: 'Other things I'd quite like to forget but can't… Something happened to me a few years ago that was so traumatic I only decided to include it in this book at the very last minute. I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.'
He added: 'Me and Lou spent a lot of time discussing whether to mention it in this book or not. I avoided my publisher for so long that they probably suspected I got cold feet. Scary to talk about but it's made 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.'
Life after the attack
Carroll now plays for and serves as assistant manager of National League South side Dagenham & Redbridge, having returned to English football from a three-year spell in France with Amiens and Bordeaux.
The autobiography is a candid account of his life both on and off the pitch, from his early days with boyhood side Newcastle to his latter years with the likes of West Brom and Reading. Carroll makes no bones about the fact he perhaps 'had more fun than your average' professional footballer, detailing boozy nights at strip clubs and lavish holidays while 'making mistakes' and earning wages in excess of £200,000-a-week.
'I wanted to live an everyday life. Go out at weekends with friends and go on holiday with friends in the international break, go to music festivals and have a few too many drinks and a kebab now and again. Make mistakes without appearing in the papers,' he added. 'You could argue trying to live a normal life is incompatible with being a majorly successful sports person. But there is no point spending the rest of my days wishing I had a different mindset. I'm sure I've had more fun than your average player. Soon enough I was spending time in bars, strip joints and casinos. If everyone wanted a tray of shots, I'd buy a tray of shots. A well-known footballer spending time in local establishments was bound to attract trouble.'
