I Was Sexually Assaulted’, Andy Carroll Reveals

Former England striker Andy Carroll has revealed that he was sexually assaulted by a man in 2021, saying the trauma has continued to affect his life.

Andy Carroll, 37, disclosed the incident in his autobiography, released earlier today, after deciding to include it at the last minute following discussions with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale.

The incident occurred at Carroll’s home during his second spell with hometown club Newcastle United. A friend of his former partner, who was away at the time, had visited the house to watch a boxing match and was due to stay overnight.

Carroll said the man sexually assaulted him while he was asleep. He then threw the man out of his home before knocking him unconscious when he attempted to return.

The former Liverpool and West Ham striker called the police afterwards and said he was “sobbing” in the arms of his children’s nanny.

The unnamed man was later convicted of sexual offences and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also placed on the sex offender register.

Carroll testified during the court proceedings, describing the experience as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous”.

Writing about the incident in his autobiography, Carroll said: “I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about, and only a few people knew about it before now.

“Me and I 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 [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, who won nine England caps, added: “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… The trauma of what happened to me hasn’t gone away.”

Carroll joined Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2025 and has made six appearances in the National League South this season.