The 37-year-old striker, who currently plays for and co-owns Dagenham & Redbridge in England's sixth-tier National League South, disclosed details of the incident in his autobiography, "Owning It", released on September 24. Carroll stated that the perpetrator subsequently received a three-year prison sentence.

Andy Carroll warming up before the Liverpool – Newcastle match at Anfield, Liverpool, England on 24/4/2021. Photo: Reuters

Carroll recounted that the incident occurred one evening after he had played for his hometown club, Newcastle. An unnamed "celebrity friend" of his ex-wife arrived uninvited at his home to watch a boxing match, despite Carroll having always found the person "very strange".

Feeling uncomfortable during the interaction and suddenly disoriented after "a few drinks", the former England international decided to go to bed early. Carroll recalled waking up startled to find the guest attempting a sexual act on him under the covers.

Carroll immediately threw the person out of his house. When the individual attempted to break back in, he "punched him as hard as I could", knocking him unconscious. Following this, he immediately called the police.

The attacker denied Carroll's allegations but was still prosecuted by authorities on charges related to sexual assault. Appearing in court as a victim, Carroll described the trial experience as "humiliating, shameful, and terrifying".

At the conclusion of the trial, the defendant was convicted of sexual assault, sentenced to three years in prison, placed on the National Sex Offender Register, and banned from Carroll's family's residential area.

"That tragedy has haunted every aspect of my life," Carroll wrote in his autobiography. "I think about it every day, making it very difficult to focus on anything else, including football... The emotional trauma from what happened has not subsided".

Andy Carroll celebrating after the Norwich City – Reading match at Carrow Road, Norwich, England on 30/12/2022. Photo: Reuters

Carroll's 20-year professional career spanned 9 different clubs. He rose to prominence as a teenager at Newcastle, before becoming the most expensive British player in history in 2011, when the striker born in 1989 joined Liverpool in a USD 46 million deal. In 2013, Carroll moved to West Ham, scoring 33 goals in 126 appearances.

At the national team level, Carroll made 9 appearances for the "Three Lions" (England national team) between 2010 and 2012 and was part of the Euro 2012 squad.

The former Liverpool striker once had a family life with Billi Mucklow, an actress and yoga instructor. They got engaged in 2014 after one year of dating, had three children, and married in summer 2022 at the five-star Four Seasons hotel in Hampshire. However, two years later, the couple divorced.

Carroll was later charged with repeatedly calling his ex-wife in 3/2025. This action violated a non-molestation order issued by a family court in 10/2024 to protect the victim. Carroll could therefore face criminal charges, with penalties ranging from fines to a maximum of five years in prison for the most severe cases. His trial for this matter is scheduled for 1/2027.

Ha Phuong (according to BBC Sport)