Andy Carroll: Aiming to Play for Bordeaux Until 40 and Form a Striker Partnership with His Son

The British newspaper The Sun published comments from former Newcastle, Liverpool, and West Ham United striker Andy Carroll indicating that despite currently playing in the French fourth division and earning only £750 per week, he plans to continue with this struggling club for another five years, playing until he is 40.

In recent years, Carroll has been plagued by injuries. This season, Carroll joined French side Bordeaux—a six-time Ligue 1 champion that was taken over due to financial issues and has since been relegated to the French fourth division (National 2). Recently, Carroll made his debut for Bordeaux, scoring twice to help the team draw 2-2.

Currently, Carroll earns only £750 per week, but he is very happy: “I am lucky that at my age (35), I can still enjoy the game and earn a living from football. I used to be at the top level, where people earn £100,000 a week. When you come to France, the guys earn far less than that. But they come to work every day, work hard, smile, and love barbecues. It’s a completely different lifestyle, which is great and exactly what I want and need.”

Carroll has made nine appearances for England. He expressed his hope to play for another five years until he is 40. He currently has five children (three boys and two girls), with his eldest son Lucas being 14 years old. Carroll said: “My sons always say, ‘Oh, you should get an office job.’ But I keep telling them, ‘Hopefully one day, when you grow up, you can join me, become my striking partner, and play on the same team together.’ They are all great players, and this dream might be more appealing to me than retiring to do something else.”

In response to questions from British media, Carroll said: “Many retired or soon-to-be-retired players ask me why I’m playing in France. I just love it here; everything from the stadium to the training ground perfectly meets my needs and desires. Future plans? To strive for consecutive promotions, become a part of this big club, and leave my mark in its history. This is a great opportunity not to be missed!”