ANDY CARROLL has been linked with a shock move back to England — in the SIXTH TIER.
The ex-Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham forward left French side Bordeaux at the end of the season and is yet to confirm his next destination.
Now it’s emerged Chelmsford City, of the National League South, are eyeing a stunning approach.
Chelmsford boss Angelo Harrop was coy when asked by the Non-League Paper about reports of a potential move for the 36-year-old.
Harrop said: “No comment.”
He then added: “I am really happy with what we have got in.
“We have got real quality, a lot of youth, a lot of players [who are] really hungry, which is great.
“We have got a brand new squad so we have got to knit together very quickly, but Rome was not built in a day.
“The football club has already made massive strides in the last two months.”
Chelmsford are a team in transition, having brought Harrop onboard in March amid a summer transition towards becoming a full-time professional outfit.
Andy Carroll’s career path
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
2013 – Leaves Liverpool for West Ham 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 is linked with a return to the English game
They finished 11th of 24 teams in the National League South last season.
But now the Clarets have their sights set higher — and a marquee signing like Carroll could help.
Carroll has developed a penchant for playing in lower leagues of late, having most recently plied his trade with Bordeaux in the fourth tier of French football after their relegation due to financial issues.
He netted 11 times in 23 appearances in France before his departure from the club was confirmed in June.
A Bordeaux statement cited Carroll wanting to be closer to his family as his reason for leaving, suggesting any future clubs would have to be closer to home for the Gateshead native.
Carroll was reported to be earning just £1,372 a month while at Bordeaux, hinting that sides with limited resources could still be in the mix should the right project catch the striker’s eye.
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