Andy Carroll has revealed the reasons behind his stunning decision to drop down to the sixth tier of English football – admitting he turned down lucrative offers from up to seven clubs at higher levels to join Dagenham and Redbridge.
Last week, the former England and Premier League striker signed a three-year deal with the National League South side, also acquiring a minority ownership stake in the club.
He had previously played for Bordeaux in the French fourth tier, where he became a fan favourite in his single campaign.
The 36-year-old dropped down the divisions and took a huge pay cut, even revealing that he was losing money by playing for them.
Now, Carroll has opened up on his decision to choose passion over money again by joining Dagenham.
‘From the first meeting with the manager, I just knew it was the right club,’ Carroll told The Athletic. ‘I had probably six or seven clubs on the phone at higher levels, driving distance from home, and more money, but for me, it was the whole package of the club.
Andy Carroll has opened up on his eyebrow-raising decision to join Dagenham and Redbridge
The 36-year-old signed a three-year deal with the club, also acquiring a small ownership stake
Carroll revealed he turned down ‘six or seven clubs’ who were offering ‘more money’ because Dagenham’s long-term footballing project appealed to him
‘I could speak to the owners, and they’d tell me what the future was going to look like. I could also speak to the manager, and he could tell me what it would be like. I just felt like I wanted to be part of it.’
Regarding his aims with the east London club, the former Liverpool star added: ‘I think the main thing that I would like to see is the academy set back up.
‘If you’ve got 60,000 kids in the area under 16, you’ve got an opportunity. With West Ham around the corner, The Academy of Football, look at the players they’ve produced over the years. To get that up and running is key for the club – it’s a necessity, really.
‘You look at the club and you think it’s got potential. It’s 30 minutes into London on the train. It’s a fantastic area. I could go to a League One (third division) or a Championship (second) team, and be mid-table and play bits and pieces, not really enjoying it, and float around.
‘Or I could come here, start from the bottom, and have a project where I can work on the pitch and off the pitch to hopefully bring something fantastic to the club in the area.’
Carroll started his career at Newcastle before earning a £35million switch to Liverpool in 2011. He played for England nine times, scoring at the 2012 Euros.
Carroll also had spells at West Ham, West Brom, Reading and returned to Newcastle before moving to Amiens in September 2023.
He stayed in France for the 2024-25 season, and scored 11 goals in 23 matches last season for Bordeaux, who finished fourth in the National 2, France’s fourth division.
