With Newcastle visiting the London stadium on Monday, I can’t help but reflect on the career of a former [West Ham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-v-newcastle-howe-makes-brave-fitness-call-ahead-of-wembley-final/) striker – a Geordie by birth – who spent seven years at the club, though much of it was spent in the treatment room rather than on the pitch.
Andy Carroll joined West Ham on a season long loan from Liverpool in 2012, with the move made permanent the following year for £15m. Liverpool had absorbed a heavy loss on the transfer having purchased Carroll for £35m from Newcastle in 2011, a record sum for a British player at the time. Unfortunately, Carroll’s time at West Ham was plagued by injuries, and over six seasons he scored 33 goals in 126 league appearances.
After being released in 2019, Carroll returned to Newcastle where he spent two seasons, making just 37 league appearances and scoring once. He later played in the Championship with West Bromwich Albion and Reading before joining French Ligue 2 team, Amiens in 2023, where he made 32 league appearances, scoring four goals.
On 18 September 2024, Carroll moved to Championnat National 2 club Bordeaux, marking his debut with two goals. However injuries have continued to hinder his progress, limiting him to twelve appearances, and eight goals. After suffering a hamstring injury in mid -January, he has missed six matches, yet returned to action on Saturday, as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 loss to Saumur.
Carroll’s injury troubles have been relentless – since the 2008/09 season he has missed 228 games and spent 1,922 days sidelined .
His current contract runs until June 2026, which would see him play upto the age of 37. Earning under £2k a month, a stark contrast from the £100k a week he reportedly earned at West Ham, Carroll shared in an interview with L’Equipe: “I want to thrive playing football in a nice environment, and that’s exactly what I am doing now. The people at Bordeaux treat me like a person, not like a footballer.”
Reflecting on his time at West Ham, fans were left frustrated, as Carroll never fully realised his potential at the club. However there were some memorable moments, including a hatrick against Arsenal, and a stunning bicycle kick against Crystal Palace.as a difficult period. Speaking to Foot Mercato, he said, “I was at rock bottom everything was dark. I was just falling apart and making bad decisions. As a player you just want to be out there playing. But sometimes you hear people saying “Oh he’s still injured, he should retire. Things like that are not nice.”
The fact that he made only nine appearances for England between 2010-2012, further highlights the squandered talent.
In the end “failed potential with moments of brilliance” perhaps best describes his time in East London.