Andy Carroll's trauma persists: revelations about abuse in 2021

Andy Carroll, former striker of Liverpool and Newcastle, has confessed in his autobiography that he was the victim of a sexual assault in 2021, an incident that, in his own words, continues to haunt him day by day. The account, included in the book "Owning It", shows how the trauma has not dissipated and even affects his football performance.

Details of the assault and the conviction

According to Carroll himself, the attacker was a friend of his then‑girlfriend and stayed over at his house after a boxing match. While he was sleeping, the assailant sexually assaulted him; Carroll expelled him, but the man returned unconscious and had to be expelled again. Afterwards, the footballer alerted the police and testified in court, a process he described as "humiliating, embarrassing and absolutely horrendous".

The attacker was found guilty of sexual offences and sentenced to three years in prison, in addition to being placed on the National Sex Offenders Register and barred from entering the town where Carroll lived.

Personal and professional impact

Carroll, 37, said the episode makes it "hard for me to focus on anything else, including football" and that the trauma "has not gone away". He assured that only a handful of people knew the story until now and that talking about it has made him the person he is today.

The former English international, who earned nine caps for the national team between 2010 and 2012, continues his career at Dagenham & Redbridge in the sixth tier, a club of which he is also co‑owner.

Other background and legal proceedings

The account also mentions a 2017 incident, when a thief was sentenced to six years for attempting to steal Carroll's luxury watch in Essex, although that event is not directly related to the 2021 assault.

Currently, Carroll faces a court case in January for an alleged breach of a non‑contact order, to which he has pleaded not guilty.