Andy Carroll has revealed he was sexually assaulted in 2021 by a man he invited to his home after a boxing match. The attacker, a friend of Carroll's former partner, was later convicted, jailed for three years and placed on the sex offenders register. Carroll—now 37 and a player/co-owner at Dagenham & Redbridge—says the experience has had a lasting impact and he included it in his autobiography to help others.
Andy Carroll Reveals He Was Sexually Assaulted in 2021 — Attacker Jailed
Andy Carroll has revealed he was sexually assaulted (DAVID KLEIN)
Former Liverpool and England striker Andy Carroll has disclosed in his autobiography that he was sexually assaulted in 2021 by a man he had invited to his home after watching a boxing match on television.
In Owning It, Carroll says the assault took place while he was asleep. The attacker — described as a friend of Carroll's former partner — was later convicted at trial, jailed for three years and placed on the sex offenders register.
The 37-year-old, who is now a player and co-owner of non-league club Dagenham & Redbridge, was automatically granted anonymity as the victim of a sexual offence. Carroll says he threw the man out when he discovered what had happened and knocked him unconscious when the man tried to return.
"I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now," Carroll writes in his book.
Carroll says he decided to include the episode in his memoir "at the very last minute" after lengthy conversations with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale. He told readers he hoped that being open about the experience might help others who have suffered in silence.
"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," he writes. "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."
Carroll described giving evidence at the trial as "humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous." He added that the incident affected every facet of his life, making it hard to focus on day-to-day activities — including football — and that the trauma has not fully gone away.
Carroll won nine caps for England during his playing career with Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham. He has said he is sharing the story now in the hope it encourages others to speak up and seek support.
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