Andy Carroll: I had to Google my Liverpool teammates after joining from Newcastle United

Andy Carroll has admitted that he had to Google who his new Liverpool teammates were upon his arrival at the Merseyside club.

Carroll left Newcastle in 2011 to join the Reds, but has now returned to the Magpies eight-and-a-half years later.

Carroll’s struggles at Liverpool: Five things to know…

• Carroll signed for Liverpool on deadline day in January 2011.
• He became the most expensive British player of all time (£35m) when he joined Liverpool.
• His first goals came in a 3-0 win over Man City, but he ultimately struggled to consistently find the back of the net.
• He left Anfield in 2012 for West Ham in a loan deal that became permanent a year later.
• Carroll has now spoken about how he wasn’t fully aware who played for Liverpool when he signed.

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Speaking about his transfer to Anfield, Carroll was recently asked by Newcastle’s official website whether the rumour that he didn’t know anyone who played for Liverpool at the time was correct.

He said: “That’s actually true. When I was here, I’d go home, mess about with my mates, play football, go out, whatever, but I’d never watch football, I never knew any players.

“I’d come in on the Friday or wake up on the Saturday morning saying, ‘who are we playing?’ I was just completely oblivious to all the football that was going on. I would work at the training ground and knew my tactics, but until we had a meeting I didn’t know who we were playing unless I asked someone.

“When I was in the helicopter down to Liverpool, I was like, ‘I know Stevie G, I know Carragher. Who else?’ My agent at the time had to tell me, and I would get it on Google and find out the team. So that’s actually a true story. It’s bad because it’s Liverpool players, but it’s not disrespectful – I just literally didn’t watch football, so I didn’t know.”

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Carroll looks to bring back the feel-good factor

On paper, it appears that Newcastle have done a decent job of making up for Rafa Benitez’s inevitable exit to China.

They’ve smashed their transfer record with the signing of Joelinton as well as bringing in tricky winger Allan Saint-Maximin. They’ve also brought back Carroll and got local lad and boyhood Newcastle fan Steve Bruce to lead the charge towards Premier League safety.

However, for Newcastle fans, nothing will replace Rafa. He was the difference between relegation and survival for the past two seasons and it’s hard to envisage anything but a season of struggle at St. James’ Park.

Carroll, however, is a fan favourite. His return was met with jubilation by the Toon Army and, should he fire them to a fourth consecutive season in the Premier League, perhaps the pain of Rafa will fade.