Last season, Andy Carroll scored 7 goals in 26 matches for West Ham United, appearing for the Hammers on a season long loan deal from Liverpool. Now West Ham have made the loan deal into a full transfer, offiicially buying the 24 year old English striker from Liverpool, for a West Ham transfer record of £15 million.
The sale represents a major loss for Liverpool who originally bought the striker for £35 million from Newcastle in 2011, in an attempt to replace Fernando Torres who had been sold on the same day. The move never quite worked out for Liverpool, in fact it can rightly be called a disaster of a purchase.
The 6’3″ striker is supposed to provide a physical presence to the front line, with his ability to hold the ball up for his teamates, his height for strong headers, and his powerful shot. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to put it all together and fulfill his promise for the Reds. Still he’s played well enough for West Ham that the move makes sense for the club that finished 10th in the table last season, its first Premiership season after promotion from the Championship.
“It’s fantastic for me to be here” said Carroll. “I really enjoyed last season, and that shows in me coming back and making it permanent. The fans, the lads and the Club itself has been great to me, and what I wanted to do was come back here and play football. Since the end of the season I’ve had a lot of time to think, I’ve missed it and that’s why I’m back. Getting promoted the season before last, then finishing where we did – we did great, and it can only get better for us.
West Ham released their own statement saying, “The marquee signing represents a significant step for the Club as they prepare to move to the 54,000-seater Olympic Stadium in 2016, with Carroll set to play a central role having committed his long-term future to the Hammers.
Carroll, who has 9 caps and 2 goals for England, is hoping to play a significant role for the National Squad, in qualifying and looking ahead at the 2016 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
Don’t forget to follow our footy department – @RoryHarbaugh and @TonyNYGooner. Give the site a follow while you’re at it – @LastWordOnSports.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? Find more info at our “Join Our Team” page.
Photo Credit: Teamleaks.com, CC
