ANDY CARROLL has revealed he could have been playing at a higher level before signing for Dagenham and Redbridge.
The former Premier League striker joined the sixth-tier side on a three-year contract after leaving Bordeaux.
Carroll, 36, has already made his first appearance for the club in a pre-season friendly against League Two outfit Crawley Town.
The match was not a dream return to England as Dagenham were thrashed 5-1.
However, he has admitted that he had offers from at least half a dozen clubs that play at a higher level.
The striker has also insisted that his decision was made after speaking to the Daggers’ owners and manager.
He told The Athletic: “From the first meeting with the manager (Lee Bradbury), I just knew it was the right club.
“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.
“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.”
His move to Dagenham sees him land just 10 miles away from his old stomping ground, the London Stadium.
Carroll spent seven years at West Ham after joining the club from Liverpool – where he was once a £35million signing from Newcastle.
During his prime, he earned nine caps for England and scored two goals, including a header at Euro 2012 against Sweden.
Now, Carroll has taken on a player-owner role at Dagenham, which has recently been taken over by a Qatari-led investment group.
Andy Carroll’s career path
Andy Carroll’s meteoric rise might not have lived up to expectations, but it has been a career full of twists and turns
2006 – Begins to break through with the senior team as a teenager at Newcastle
2011 – Joins Liverpool for a club record fee of £35million
2012 – Leaves Liverpool for West Ham loan before joining permanently for just £15million
2019 – Returns to Newcastle after a long but inconsistent spell in East London
2021 – Joins Reading following the expiry of his Newcastle contract
2022 – Leaves Reading for a short spell with West Brom, but quickly returns to the Royals
2023 – Moves abroad for the first time in his career with second division French side Amiens SC
2024 – Makes headlines by joining fourth-tier French side Bordeaux following their relegation over financial issues, plays for less than minimum wage
2025 – Departs Bordeaux amicably and returns to English football with Dagenham and Redbridge
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