England striker breaks silence on assault

Andy Carroll, 37, has revealed in his autobiography that he was sexually assaulted by a man at his home in 2021 while playing for Newcastle.

“I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.”

Attacker jailed, placed on register

The unnamed perpetrator was found guilty of sexual offences, sentenced to three years in prison, and placed on the sex offender register.

Carroll testified in court proceedings

Carroll gave evidence against his attacker in court, describing the experience as humiliating, embarrassing, and absolutely horrendous.

“humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous”

Trauma affected every part of his life

Carroll says the assault impacted his daily existence, making it difficult to focus on football or anything else, with thoughts of the incident consuming him.

“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.”

Decision to go public was deliberate

Carroll decided at the last minute to include the assault in his autobiography after discussing it with his girlfriend Lou Teasdale, hoping his story helps others.

“And if me talking about it helps just one person then good, it will have been worth it.”

Now playing for non-league Dagenham

Carroll joined Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2025 as a player and co-owner, making six appearances in the National League South this season.