In recent weeks Hammer Andy Carroll has been linked to a return to the North East.
It has become the dullest repeat story for months that he could be on his way back to his home town of Newcastle under different managers.
More recently it’s been reported he could move to his home town’s arch rivals, Sunderland and rejoin Sam Allardyce.
In my personal view neither of these paper stories are true for the simple reason that the player is very settled in Essex.
Mr Carroll seems to have put his wild partying days behind since meeting his Billi Mucklow and getting engaged last November. The couple bought a house together in Essex last December dubbed ‘Carroll Castle’ and Billi gave birth to their first child Arlo in June this year.
Andy and Billi’s new circle of friends and support network are Essex based and Billi’s Bikram Yoga studio business is also based in Loughton, Essex. I am told the young family would be reluctant to move away from London.
After a £17m transfer fee and basic wages of £85,000 per week many will say Andy Carroll owes us big time.
He will never be our number one striker while Sakho is fit and will need to be content with sitting on the bench waiting for his chance as an impact sub when Bilic’s sees fit.
I suppose he could get to Watford from Essex assuming they can stay up.
Hope Carroll does not end up like Nolan then! who does not want to leave London, there may come a day very soon when Andy’s salary and position can not be any longer justified, and without much trouble we can find a better all round player that completely fits in the Slaven way of playing! How many clubs around Essex will pay Carroll the wage we sadly pay him, very few if Any!
So I think Mr Carroll may have to lower his demands greatly or move away from Essex however much he is settled, that’s a Fact of Life!
Mucklow couldnt hack it in the north east