He may be wearing the No2 shirt these days but, make no mistake, Andy Carroll is still in the goals.
Older, wiser, fitter and stronger, the former Hammers and Magpies striker is still royally hitting the target during his second spell with Reading in the EFL Championship.
After being released by West Bromwich Albion at the end of last season, the ‘The Big Man’ spent all summer getting himself into the tip-top shape that convinced one-time West Ham United starlet Paul Ince to sign him for the Berkshire club.
“I went on a five-week training camp in Spain and then continued to work really hard once I got back home to Essex, too,” reveals the genial, Geordie goal-getter, who left it to his kids to choose that unusual, lowly Royals squad number. “I certainly wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.”
Aged 34, Carroll still clearly has more to give but having netted 34 times in 142 outings in Claret and Blue across seven injury-punctuated campaigns, he freely admits that he would definitely do things differently, if he had his time in his adopted East End all over again.
“Looking back, injuries sadly spoilt my time with the Hammers and that’s the one thing I’d change,” he concedes. “I was too young and too hungry and because I wanted to play so much, I’d always be rushing myself back, when I needed to be 100% fit not just at 70% or 80%. If I’d thought about things, I should’ve listened to the manager and the medical team.
“I’d be at Chadwell Heath or Rush Green watching the boys training and I’d want to be out there kicking a football around with them, too, but I still wasn’t really ready to push myself. The harder I tried, the more and more setbacks I had and it just became a vicious circle.
“The older players would be doing their exercises before and after games and training, and I’d just think: ‘Why are you doing that? I’m young, I don’t need to do it, too.’ I always thought that I knew best but looking back, I didn’t and I guess that’s always part of growing up.
“Nowadays, I see lads coming straight back from injury and only training with the squad for three or four days before wanting to play at the weekend. I’ll ask: ‘Why are you rushing? Why are you risking your fitness for just one game?’
“Injuries are part and parcel of being a footballer but over the past few years, I’ve learned my own lessons and – having left West Ham and Newcastle United – I barely missed more than the odd training session or two, yet alone a match at West Bromwich Albion. It’s Murphy’s Law.”
Big Sam and Big Andy
Despite being hampered, hamstrung and hindered by all those knocks and niggles, Andy still looks back fondly on some memorable times and unforgettable goals down West Ham way after Sam Allardyce signed him permanently from Liverpool in a £15m deal in summer 2013, following an initial season-long loan spell in the East End.
“I’d played for Big Sam up at Newcastle and he knew the player and person I was, while Kevin Nolan was also a big factor in my move to London, too. I fell in love with everything from the moment when I arrived. It was fantastic and I enjoyed every single minute of my time at West Ham United.
“I’ll never forget walking off after the final game of that first 2012/13 season – ironically, we’d just beaten Reading 4-2 – and the Hammers fans were all chanting my name calling for me to stay at the Club.
“People still talk about my hat-trick in the Arsenal game during our fantastic final year at Upton Park – who could ever forget that last night against Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground – while my bicycle kick against Crystal Palace at London Stadium easily remains the best goal of my entire career.
“In fact, I still go to London Stadium regularly, I also talk to the lads and telephone them after matches,” confides the nine-times capped England international. “Having finished sixth and seventh in the Premier League in successive seasons, while reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, too, I know that everyone loved the atmosphere over those two great years.
“The Hammers supporters got right behind the players and the manager and, although David Moyes had a bit of a rough time first time around, he did brilliantly upon his return to the Football Club.
“As a striker, it was good to see Michail Antonio do so well but he clearly needed help, while David clearly needed another forward or two, too.
“If the service is right anyone can score goals and West Ham have certainly got the players such as Maxwel Cornet, Jarrod Bowen, Saïd Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Lucas Paquetá, who are all capable of creating danger.
“Provided those balls into the box are good enough, then the forwards will thrive off them.
“If I’m honest, I’d never noticed too much of Maxwel when he was up at Burnley but from what I’ve seen of him, he looks to be a very good signing. I was at the UEFA Conference League play-off tie last August and he made some really exciting runs down that left-wing and created quite a few chances against Viborg FF.
“Jarrod really excites me, too, because he just never stops working throughout the entire 90 minutes, while we all know that Declan Rice is, well, just Declan Rice!
“Considering where West Ham finished last season, the manager won’t have been too happy with things this time around but there are signs that the results and the performances are returning – hopefully, that’s a sign that they’re getting back to last year’s levels again.”
Coming along nicely
Coincidentally, Andy also netted 34 goals during his two spells and 144 outings with boyhood club, Newcastle.
“Things are coming along nicely at St James’ Park and these are also exciting times for another one of my old teams,” he says casting an eye towards his native North East and tonight’s clash with the Magpies. “There’s money in the bank and they’ve been the ones to watch. Eddie Howe’s made some good signings and I’m sure that the Newcastle fans are enjoying seeing their football club being in a position to pay virtually whatever they want for players.
“But Eddie will also tell you that it’s not just about spending money because he’ll always want to see performances from the ones coming into the team. As we saw down at Bournemouth, he’s a very good manager with a great track record of identifying the right players, developing them and bringing them on. Eddie’s got excellent back-room staff, too, and they all work so well together.
“Wednesday’s match has got all the makings of being a great game between two exciting teams,” concludes Andy undoubtedly wishing that he, too, could roll back the years and get in another 90 Premier League minutes out on the London Stadium turf. “My body certainly hasn’t fallen to bits and I’ve hopefully shown that I’ve still got something to offer because, as I say, I’m feeling the best I’ve felt for a few seasons now.”
