Ex-Liverpool frontman Andy Carroll ageing like fine wine at Bordeaux
The Gateshead native, who first made his name at Newcastle United, joined fourth-tier Bordeaux in a surprise move a month ago.
Currently plumbing the depths of French football due to a recent administrative double-relegation, the former Ligue 1 champions are a club in existential crisis.
Now, after a topsy-turvy career that took him from Anfield to the Madejski to the Stade de la Licorne (bet you don’t know where that is), Carroll is reinvigorating both himself and the fallen French giants.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Joe Grainger takes a look at Carroll’s career trajectory and its striking contrast to other veterans of the game.
The typical 21st-century football path
Over the last decade, the career path for most seasoned Premier League footballers has been to follow up success in England - and perhaps on the continent, depending on their talent - with trading in the passion of the game for generational wealth across the world.
That trend saw big names such as Lampard and Gerrard, as well as European stars like Kaka and Pirlo, see out their careers with lacklustre, lazy performances in front of crowds who cared as much as they did about the final result - that is to say, very little.
In recent years, this has largely continued, but now stars from the Premier League and beyond are more likely to play their football in the East than the West.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo was the trail-blazing guinea pig for the Saudi Pro League. Many have since followed CR7’s lead, with the guarantee of being made for life.
In something of a bonus for these quick-made billionaires, this time fans do care about the football they’re watching. The same cannot be said, however, for the man we are focusing on today.
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Andy Carroll an icon of football romanticists across the globe
Wherever Andy Carroll goes, he is loved by the fans of the club he plays for.
The teenager from Gateshead was heralded as the best local player since Alan Shearer at Newcastle United. Indeed, in 2006 at just 17 years and 300 days old, he broke the record as the club’s youngest appearance-maker in European competition.
He later won the hearts of West Ham fans for making the transition from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium a slightly easier pill to swallow with moments of pure magic. (Remember THAT overhead kick?)
His passion for the game was especially obvious in the autumn of 2021, when he joined a financially-challenged Reading in the English Championship.
While he was unable to save them from dropping into the third tier, the move caught the eye of many football fans for breaking the tradition of a player of his calibre seeking one last big payday abroad.
Recent developments
After low-key spells with West Bromwich Albion and Amiens (in the French second tier), the footballing world was stunned when the Geordie decided to join French fourth-tier side Bordeaux in August.
The move was the full circle moment for people following Carroll’s peculiar career path around the lower leagues of Europe. It was also a shock because Bordeaux had suffered a double-relegation due to administration issues just months before the free acquisition of the veteran striker.
In July, the club had informed the French Football Federation that they would officially give up their status as a professional football club, with current player contracts being terminated and the team's training centre closing indefinitely.
This did not deter Andy Carroll from joining though, and his affiliation with the club as well as the appreciation shown by Bordeaux fans is a real sight to behold.
That has been aided by a couple of last-minute goals so far this season - indeed, after just two league games, he already has four goals.
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Could this become the new norm for other seasoned professionals?
The short answer is probably not.
The money in the game has become outrageous and most players, understandably so, want their piece of the financial pie, especially when their career has warranted the reward that can be received in places like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and the US.
When asked about his decision to join Bordeaux, Carroll explained that the money does not interest him and that it actually costs him to play for Les Girondins. He further added that it has never been about the money - rather, it has always been about his love for the game, a game he wishes to play until he is at least 40.
This mindset, of course, cannot be said about many of his counterparts.
For now, let us hope everything carries on the way it is going for him in France. And for us football purists, let us hope this is the first story of many we read about him in the coming years.
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