Andy Carroll says different ‘well-known footballers’ have additionally suffered intercourse assaults
The England striker said since he admitted he had been targeted a number of big name players who have experienced ‘similar things’ have come forward to thank him for speaking out
Andy Carroll on Football Uncensored(Image: Football Uncensored)
Andy Carroll said a number of ‘well known footballers’ have admitted they too have been sexually assaulted after he revealed his own ordeal. The England striker said since he went public as a sex attack victim he had been contacted by other high profile stars who have had ‘similar things’ happen to them.
Carroll, 37, said they told him they had drawn strength from his revelation knowing they were not alone. The former Liverpool and Newcastle United footballer was attacked by BBC Fame Academy dance instructor Kevin Adams as he slept naked in 2019.
Carroll woke up and threw him out of the house, knocking him unconscious when he tried to return. The footballer revealed it in his autobiography Owning It without identifying his abuser.
Andy Carroll playing for Newcastle(Image: Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But after learning the culprit was named in court records Carroll confirmed it was Adams – a choreographer who appeared as a coach on BBC1’s 2002 reality fame search and Strictly Come Dancing : It Takes Two in 2021. In 2023 Adams, now 59, was jailed for 20 months for the sexual assault.
Carroll told Piers Morgan on Football Uncensored he would ‘probably never get over it’, the decision to go public was ‘really really difficult and he ‘freaked out’ when the story broke.
But he had received ‘massive’ support from friends, family, fans and fellow players at National League South club Dagenham & Redbridge where he is a striker and assistant manager.
Carroll said others who had suffered sex ordeals had been in touch to thank him for speaking out. “People that I know really well that have come to me with similar things happened to them,” he said.
Piers Morgan
“People in football as well – well known footballers. I’ve had phone calls off them and saying ‘thanks’. I’ve been beating myself up about it and as soon as I’ve said it the support that I’ve received has been massive.
“And I think that’s the main thing really for me – that if I said that five years ago when it happened maybe I would have felt a lot better now and then got over it.”
He told Piers his ordeal – which went under the radar as sex attack victims have a legal right to lifelong anonymity – had been ‘eating me alive inside for so long’.
“There’s certain things you can’t get over and I’ll never, ever get over that,” he said. “But now I know that people can see who I was then, in that time, and what I’ve been through and they help me and support me.”
Carroll said he was in agony before the book came out as he had not even told his parents or friends what he had been through. He said: “Until two weeks ago when it came out still in the back of my head I was like, ‘When is it going to drop? When is the name going to come out?’ It was really, really difficult. So when the name came out I kind of freaked out and I was just like, ‘I don’t want to speak to anyone’.
“And I shut myself away. Before that I was kind of alright. It was out there, that happened. I’m at Dagenham at the moment and the lads there have been fantastic, the staff and everything.
Carroll’s attacker Kevin Adams(Image: Getty Images)
“But then when the name was ready to come out I just panicked and I just didn’t know what to do. The social media comments that I’ve been getting and receiving – that’s giving me a little bit of support to say, ‘yeah, go on then, get it out there and people will be aware of this because no-one talks about it’.
“It’s difficult to actually speak his name. Talking about it is hard and I’m not over it and I’ll probably never get over it. But I do feel a little bit relieved that it’s out there.
“People can see what I’ve been through. My time back at Newcastle wasn’t great. There was obviously that going on in the background. There was a lot of things going on and I was struggling and I probably didn’t have the support that I needed. And now I feel like I do and I feel like I do with the public as well.
“I think people are coming up to me in games and like nice comments. I’m happy with who I am. I’m happy with how I’ve dealt with it, and I’ve got the support around me with my partner, my family and friends and, and now the public. I think it’s great.
“I was a little bit nervous, to be honest, walking in the dressing room. It came out and the lads were fine. Obviously at first not many of them spoke about it and I think it was kind of in the air where they didn’t know whether they should or could. The manager pulled me straight into the office.. It’s been brilliant. I’ve been having conversations with the lads and nothing’s changed other than just love, really.”
Watch the full interview on Football Uncensored on YouTube.
