Former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll reveals he wished he failed his medical ahead of £35m move from Newcastle to Merseyside
- Andy Carroll was signed by Liverpool to replace Chelsea-bound Fernando Torres
- The striker struggled on Merseyside, grabbing just 11 goals in 58 appearances
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off’
Andy Carroll has revealed he hoped that he would fail his medical ahead of his £35m move from Newcastle to Liverpool.
The 6’4inch-tall striker was huge a success for the Magpies, registering 17 goals and 12 assists in 39 Championship games to earn promotion and become a club hero.
After taking the Premier League by storm, scoring 11 goals in 19 games by January, Carroll attracted huge interest from Liverpool who were looking to replace outgoing striker Fernando Torres.
However the Gateshead-born and boyhood Newcastle United fan has recently revealed he hoped his transfer to Merseyside would fall through before signing.
Andy Carroll was brought to Liverpool in the same window as legendary striker Luis Suarez
The Geordie striker was a big hit when playing for Newcastle, earning them promotion
Carroll failed to live up to his £35m transfer fee, scoring just 11 goals in 58 total appearances
Carroll told L’Equipe: ‘From the moment Liverpool made this incredible bid on deadline day, I found myself in a helicopter, without really understanding why.
‘As I was injured, I remember hoping to fail my medical.’
The ex-England international completed his move right at the end of the transfer window barely minutes before the 11pm deadline.
However he struggled for the Reds and, despite winning the League Cup, was shipped off on loan to West Ham in the summer of 2012.
Reflecting back on the move, Carroll continued: ‘This helped me grow up by taking me out of my comfort zone,’
‘Because I knew nothing about life and football, apart from Newcastle.’
Carroll would end up making an emotional return to Tyneside, rejoining the club on deadline day in 2019 on a one-year pay-as-you-play deal.
The now 34-year-old currently plies his trade with Ligue 2 side Amiens after he was released from Reading in the summer.
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