It is approaching midnight in Amiens, a sleepy town in northern France, and Andy Carroll is taking aim at a dartboard. ‘I’m going for 180,’ he says, extending his long limbs towards the target. He falls well short. The forfeit? A tray of drinks.
No one bats an eyelid. That’s why he likes it here. He feels at home.
Quite how this barnstorming traditional English centre forward ended up wearing number 99 and playing in the French second division, 75 miles north of Paris, needs some explaining. It’s one of the reasons why we ended up staying overnight at his apartment. There’s lots for him to say.
Moving into Rod Stewart’s house, a Bengal cat costing £1,000 (it lasted two weeks), fake allegations about drug taking, eating full roast pre-match dinners at Newcastle and a transfer that should never have happened – the big, expensive one – to Liverpool, are all part of Carroll’s story. His huge collection of hats, too. ‘I don’t even like hats.’ More of that to come.
Now playing here as a free transfer signing, at the Stade de la Licorne, the ‘Unicorn Stadium’, with its tiny 12,000 capacity, Carroll – still only 34 – feels it is time to open up.
Andy Carroll moved abroad this summer for the first time when he joined French side Amiens
Carroll spoke to Mail Sport about how he is loving life in the sleepy town in northern France
He also explained how a barnstorming traditional English centre forward – who won nine caps for his country – ended up wearing number 99 and playing in the French second division
In that strong Geordie accent, he tells his story. ‘I was at Newcastle from seven years old. I made my debut at 17. I just thought, “You know what, if I don’t go (abroad) now then I’ll never go”. I had another season at Reading. I wasn’t playing and I spoke to the manager. He wanted legs up top which is something I don’t have. I was going to say “anymore” but I don’t think I ever had them!
‘I wanted a challenge. A challenge in a completely different country. A fresh start. I spoke to my agent and said, “Get me a club abroad”. I came here and it was the one. It’s a one and half hour drive to Calais and I can get the shuttle back to Epping (the family home).
‘Here I can take my kids to the zoo here and they’re not saying, “Come on dad” because people are asking for photos or autographs. There’s a little pub around the corner where me and a couple of the boys went to watch Newcastle…