Andy Carroll has revealed he was sexually assaulted by a man at his home in 2021 during his second spell with Newcastle United. The former England striker made the disclosure in his autobiography, released on Thursday, confirming the attacker was jailed for three years.
Carroll, now 37 and involved as both a player and co-owner at non-league side Dagenham & Redbridge, said he decided to include the incident in his book “at the very last minute” after discussing it with his girlfriend Lou Teasdale. The assault happened while Carroll was sleeping, when a friend of his former partner, who was away at the time, came to stay after watching a boxing match.
According to Carroll, he threw the man out of the house after the incident but had to knock him unconscious when he tried to return. The attacker was found guilty of sexual offences, placed on the sex offender register, and sentenced to three years in prison. Carroll testified in court, describing the experience as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous.”
“I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now,” Carroll wrote in the book. “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.”
The former Liverpool and West Ham striker described the trauma as affecting every aspect of his life. “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,” he added.
Carroll also revealed he called the police after the attack and was “sobbing” in the arms of his children’s nanny. The incident took place during his second spell at Newcastle, the club where he began his professional career. He earned nine caps for England during his playing career.
Since joining Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2025, Carroll has made six appearances in the National League South this season. His role at the club extends beyond playing, as he is also a co-owner.
The disclosure adds to the growing conversation around sexual assault in professional sports, with Carroll’s willingness to speak publicly about his experience intended to help others who might be suffering in silence. “Scary to talk about but it’s made [me] 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,” he wrote.
The attacker’s identity has not been made public. Carroll’s revelation is one of the rare instances where a high-profile footballer has spoken openly about such an experience.
According to BBC Sports.