Andy Carroll: The rise of Newcastle United’s local hero
At the start of the season there was debate over whether Andy Carroll would ever be good enough to don the iconic Newcastle United No. 9 shirt.
A shirt like few others in club football - worn by former legends including Malcolm Macdonald, Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer – the 21-year-old local lad from Gateshead had impressed in the Championship, but doubts remained over whether he could score goals on a consistent basis in the Premier League.
Although he was 6ft 3in and equipped with an ox-like build, the England under-21 international had a questionable temperament and didn’t quite take the Championship by storm as many predicted he would – 17 league goals wasn’t a bad return for a young striker still learning his trade, but the Newcastle faithful might have expected a little more.
On receiving the coveted No. 9 shirt in July, a delighted Carroll revealed his pride at his manager, Chris Hughton’s, decision.
"I’m immensely proud and really it’s an unbelievable feeling," he said. "When you look at the fantastic players down the years who have worn the shirt, it sends shivers down your spine.
"It’s every young Geordie lad’s dream to be a Newcastle United No. 9."
Off the field this season, it’s been a disastrous few weeks for Carroll. Last month he pleaded guilty to common assault and fined a total of £3,500 after an altercation in a nightclub, while he was also charged with hitting an ex-girlfriend.
His unprofessional and thug-like behavior away from football would hardly have endeared him to England manager Fabio Capello who, like many others, must be wondering if the rising star truly has the desire and commitment to fulfil his huge potential. But on the pitch, things could hardly be going better for the England hopeful in the opening few months of the campaign.
On Sunday afternoon, Carroll was again the hero for the Magpies, leaping high over Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and nodding the ball into the gaping net for the only goal of the game to seal a famous Newcastle win.
It was his sixth league goal of the season, and another in a recent list of scintillating performances from the towering centre-forward. Against rivals Sunderland a week earlier, Carroll played his role upfront to perfection, and was instrumental in the 5-1 thrashing.
Not only is he virtually unbeatable in the air, Carroll is blessed with a lethal left foot and is also deceptively fast – with or without the ball at his feet.
His imperious displays have naturally led to calls for Carroll to be included in England’s next squad to face France at Wembley later this month. And the manager who gave him his big break this season, the man who put so much faith in the striker and has stuck by him through thick and thin, believes Carroll now stands a tremendous chance of winning a full international cap.
"Andy is mentally very strong. He is a player who is developing. Apart from having great prowess in the air, he has given us a mobility which can stretch defenders," Hughton commented. "He still has a long way to go. Andy is working hard on all aspects of his game and he is certainly going in the right direction.
"For me, being picked for Newcastle United is the most important thing. Anything which comes from that means he has earned it."
Whether Capello feels Carroll is mature enough to represent England is another matter, but the doubts over the local lad and his ability to lead Newcastle from the front have now diminished.
The latest in the legendary line-up of talismanic Newcastle No. 9s is now here to stay, but he must continue to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors with brilliant performances on the pitch, as well as impeccable behavior off it.
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