Former England international Andy Carroll has revealed that he was sexually assaulted at his home in 2021.
The 37-year-old made the disclosure in his newly released autobiography, Owning It, with the details reported by BBC Sport on Thursday.
As a victim of sexual assault, Carroll was automatically entitled to anonymity, but he decided to waive that right and speak publicly about the incident.
The assault took place during Carroll’s second spell with Newcastle United.
A friend of his then-partner had gone to his home to watch a boxing match and intended to spend the night there.
Carroll said he was asleep when the attack took place.
He subsequently forced the man out of the house and knocked him unconscious after he tried to get back inside.
Carroll then contacted the police and was later left sobbing in the arms of his children’s nanny.
The man responsible was eventually convicted of sexual offences, given a three-year prison sentence and placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Carroll testified during the court proceedings, describing the experience as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous”.
Now a player and co-owner of non-league club Dagenham & Redbridge, Carroll said he made the decision to discuss the incident in his autobiography “at the very last minute” following conversations with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale.
Writing in the book, he said: “I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.“
He continued: “Me and Lou spent a lot of time discussing whether to mention it in this book or not. I avoided my publisher for so long that they probably suspected I got cold feet.
“Scary to talk about but it’s made the person I am today as much as any of the good stuff. And if me talking about it helps just one person, then good, it will have been worth it.”
Carroll further explained the lasting impact of the incident, saying: “What happened to me affected every facet of my life. I’d think about it every day, making it difficult to focus on anything else, including football… The trauma of what happened to me hasn’t gone away.”
Carroll made nine appearances for England and also featured in the Premier League for Liverpool and West Ham United.
