Andy Carroll has revealed he was sexually assaulted in 2021 during his second spell with Newcastle United. The former striker details the traumatic incident in his newly released autobiography, Owning It, hoping his story will help other survivors.

Carroll, now 37, describes how an unnamed male celebrity friend of his former partner invited himself to the player's home to watch a boxing match. After feeling uncomfortable and light-headed from drinks, Carroll went to bed, only to be awoken by the man attempting oral sex under the bedsheets.

"I was sexually assaulted, there I said it," Carroll wrote. "Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now."

Aftermath and legal process

Carroll confronted the attacker, hit him, and threw him out before calling the police. He later sobbed in his children's nanny's arms. The perpetrator was found guilty of sexual offences, sentenced to three years in prison, placed on the Sex Offender Register, and banned from entering Carroll's village. The former England international said testifying in court was "humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous."

Motivation for speaking out

Carroll wrote that he and his partner spent considerable time deciding whether to include the event in his book. He said the trauma affected every part of his life, including his football, and he thought about it daily. "What happened to me affected every facet of my life," he wrote. "The trauma of what happened to me hasn’t gone away." He added that if talking about it helps just one person, it will have been worth it.

The news emerges as his former club, Newcastle United, sit ninth in the Premier League standings with eight points from their opening five games. Eddie Howe's side, who beat Hull City 2-1 last time out, face Coventry City away on 12 October in a fixture that fans can find on the club's fixtures page. Carroll's disclosure provides a stark personal context to a period that fans remember for his on-pitch contributions. The club's current form, with eight points from a possible fifteen, sees them looking to build consistency as they prepare for their next match. Carroll's career stats with the Magpies, marked by powerful aerial play, are now viewed through the lens of this profound personal struggle he endured while at the club.

The original report is at Chronicle Live