Andy Carroll's move from Newcastle to Liverpool was, for many, when football transfer fees jumped the shark. Six years ago today, Liverpool paid out £35 million for the centre-forward. He would spend 18 months the club, scoring 11 goals in 58 appearances before joining West Ham.
In an interview with Jamie Redknapp for the Daily Mail, Carroll has spoken about that move.
He is, by his own admission, not particularly interested in football. After his wondergoal against Crystal Palace earlier this month, he didn't watch Match of the Day.
When teammates talk about other players, he's often wondering 'Who are they talking about?' When Slaven Bilic displays opposition teams on a tactics board, Carroll thinks 'Who is that centre half or where's he from?'
This type of apathy about football - Carroll is not alone among his fellow professionals when it comes to this attitude - was also in place around the time of his move to Liverpool. Carroll admits that he had to Google several of Liverpool's squad while in a helicopter on his way putting pen to paper.
Jamie, when I was leaving Newcastle for Liverpool, I was in the helicopter on the way down and I had to go to Google to find out who their players were, looking on the phone. I was signing (for a British record £35million) and I didn't know who my team-mates would be!
I knew Stevie and some of the others but not all of them. And I loved it at Newcastle. I wasn't ready to leave. It came as a shock. I'd had a season ticket, it was my club and it was a shock to move. I was 22. I could never get a grip at Liverpool.
