Newcastle United could re-sign striker Andy Carroll this summer.
Newcastle United fans are probably bored of being linked with Andy Carroll by now, but the link returned once again over the weekend.
The Chronicle reported on Saturday that new boss Steve Bruce is considering bringing Carroll back to St James’ Park, more than eight years since his acrimonious exit.
Carroll – a boyhood Newcastle fan and product of their academy – enjoyed a strong spell in the Magpies first team but quickly ended up leaving his beloved club for Liverpool.
It’s fair to say that the 30-year-old hasn’t really lived up to expectations since then, with injuries curtailing his impact at both Liverpool and West Ham United.
Now a free agent after leaving West Ham, Carroll could make an emotional return to Tyneside, with Bruce interested as long as he can prove his fitness.
That may not go down well with some Newcastle fans, especially given how few games Carroll is able to play at the moment, but a trip down memory lane may explain why Bruce is keen.
Way back in 2011, Bruce revealed to The Telegraph that he actually wanted to sign Carroll for Wigan Athletic, but could only offer £2.5million when Newcastle and Joe Kinnear actually wanted £4.5million.
Bruce added that Carroll reminds him of another former Newcastle striker in Duncan Ferguson, and believed that he was ‘different’ to anything else out there due to his size and aerial ability, and he may well still see those qualities in the free agent – hence his interest.
“If you remember when I was Wigan manager, he came on against us and played well, really well,” Bruce said. “On the Monday morning I rang up (Kinnear) and I said to him would you sell me Andy and they quoted me £4.5 million and to be honest, I seriously thought about it but in the end, we could only go to £2.5million. I had Emile Heskey at the time and I did wonder if Heskey and Carroll would work. So back in my Wigan days, Andy Carroll could quite easily have ended up being my player.”
“He is like Duncan Ferguson at his best though I do not think they saw the best of him (Ferguson) at Newcastle, did they? On their day, big lads like that are very, very difficult. Obviously they are about 6ft 4in and the thing about Andy is that he can jump. He has got this great balance which allows him to go and jump and compete. On his day, let’s be fair that is why Kenny has gone and bid £35 million. He is different to anything else out there,” he added.
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