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, according to BBC Sport.
Carroll, who was legally entitled to anonymity as a victim of sexual assault, decided to waive the protection and publicly discuss the incident.
The assault occurred during his second spell with Newcastle United after a friend of his then-partner visited his home to watch a boxing match and intended to spend the night.
Carroll said the man assaulted him while he was asleep.
He threw him out of the house and knocked him unconscious when he attempted to get back inside before contacting the police.
The former striker was later left sobbing in the arms of his children’s nanny.
The perpetrator was subsequently convicted of sexual offences and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Carroll gave evidence during the trial, describing the experience as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous”.
The former Liverpool and West Ham striker said he only decided to reveal the incident in his autobiography “at the very last minute” following discussions with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale.
In the book, Carroll wrote, “I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.
“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.”
He added, “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, who earned nine caps for England, currently plays for and co-owns non-league club Dagenham & Redbridge.
He also featured for Newcastle United, Liverpool, West Ham United, Reading, West Bromwich Albion and French clubs Amiens and Bordeaux.
