ANDY CARROLL’S comeback is turning into a total nightmare.
His Dagenham & Redbridge side is sinking fast and Carroll, the club’s marquee signing has already seen red.
The former England striker, 36, was supposed to be the star to fire the Daggers back up the pyramid.
Instead, he was sent off on his long awaited debut and the club now sit 21st in the National League South, staring down the barrel of a catastrophic relegation.
To make matters worse, Dagenham were embarrassed at home this week, falling 2–1 to part-timers Horsham in a result that left fans fuming and boss Lee Bradbury under growing pressure despite being appointed in June this year.
Horsham manager Dom Di Paola couldn’t hide his delight at full-time, hailing his players after their stunning win.
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He said: “These boys are unreal.
“They deserve so much credit. They’re playing a full-time team who were having a rest day yesterday at a Nuffield health spa, while our lads, me included, were running from work to get to London tonight.
“We played unbelievable football in the first half and battled hard in the second.
“Everyone was brilliant, but Danny Barker was absolutely incredible. We’re so lucky to have this group.
“A lot of teams come up into this league and struggle but these boys have given absolutely everything.
“And it’s great to beat a team like Dagenham at Dagenham.”
Carroll’s return to English football was meant to be a redemption story, a veteran striker bringing experience and leadership to the lower leagues.
Instead, it’s become a grim reminder of how far his star has fallen since his £35million move to Liverpool made him Britain’s most expensive footballer back in 2011.
Off the pitch, the big Geordie’s on-and-off relationship with stylist Lou Teasdale has kept him in the gossip columns too.
SunSport undertsand they’re back together and trying to make things work amid his latest career struggle but the pressure is mounting on all fronts.
Once feared by Premier League defences, Carroll now finds himself battling just to keep Dagenham up.
And unless something changes fast, his fairytale comeback could end in yet another hard-luck chapter with both club and player sliding towards football oblivion.
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