'Well-known' footballers victims of sexual assault, confirms Andy Carroll

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FT Desk

Andy Carroll has revealed that a number of footballers have confirmed to him that they have been victims of sexual assault, as he was.

The former Liverpool, West Ham and Newcastle striker has released a new autobiography, 'Owning It', and in the book he details how a celebrity attempted to sexually assault him while he was asleep at his home in 2021.

It was later revealed that the offender was former Face Academy dance coach Kevin Adams, who was jailed in 2023 for 20 months after being convicted of sexual offences.

Carroll says he is overwhelmed by the public support he has received since the news broke.

"I've been beating myself up about it, and as soon as I've said it the support that I've received has been massive," he said in an interview with Piers Morgan.

“There are people I know… even footballers, who said a similar thing happened to them.”

Andy Carroll reveals how people reached out with similar stories after he opened up about being sexually assaulted in his new book.

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"And I think that's the main thing really for me, that if I said that five years ago when it happened, maybe I would have felt a lot better now and then got over it.

"I'm happy with who I am, I'm happy with how I've dealt with it, and I've got the support around me with my partner, my family and friends, and now the public."

He revealed that several footballers have contacted him to confess to similar experiences.

"So, when the name was revealed, I panicked and thought, 'I don't want to talk to anyone.' And I isolated myself," Carroll explained.

"Before that, it was more or less well. It was already known, it had happened. Now I'm at Dagenham and the teammates have been fantastic, as have the coaching staff and everyone else. But when the time came for the name to be made public, I just panicked and didn't know what to do... The comments I have been receiving on social networks give me some support to say: 'Yes, go ahead, we have to bring it to light and let people find out, because no one talks about this.'

"In fact, there are people I know very well who have approached me and told me: 'Something similar happened to me.' People in football, as well.

"Very well-known footballers; I have received calls from them thanking me. And, for me, including it in the book was the right thing to do... I must have received hundreds and hundreds of messages."

The Englishman began his career at Newcastle, establishing himself as a promising striker before joining Liverpool for £35 million in January 2011. He later played for West Ham United and returned to Newcastle, while also earning nine England caps and representing his country at Euro 2012.

After spells at Reading, West Bromwich Albion, Amiens and Bordeaux, Carroll joined Dagenham & Redbridge in 2025, becoming a part-owner of the club.

In was during his second spell at Newcasle that the assault took place.