Carroll keeping his lucky haircut

Jan 12 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

ANDY Carroll believes he found the perfect way to shut up his mickey-taking team-mates after the young striker scored Newcastle’s crucial equaliser against West Ham at the weekend.

Carroll has been relentlessly teased in training for the brave – some would say foolish – decision to braid his hair before making his first starting appearance at St James’s Park. But he jokingly claimed the new look had played a vital role in enabling him to score his first Newcastle goal.

Having dreamt about the moment his whole life, Carroll admitted his second-half celebration had been more restrained than he expected, but he could not disguise his joy at the final whistle after the Magpies had secured a point which ensured they did not lose any ground on their relegation rivals.

“That was one of my all-time life dreams come true,” said Carroll, who was a season ticket holder at St James’s Park before he signed up for the club’s Academy as an 11-year-old. “When the header went in I didn’t know what to do. I just jumped up, stuck my hand in the air and kept my emotions all in – but it meant a lot to me.

“It was the best feeling in the world, something I will cherish all my life and something I have dreamt of since I was a little boy, but hopefully that is not it, I would love to get a few more.

“I’ve taken loads of abuse about the haircut all week but it’s staying in now. Everyone was saying it was getting shaved off if I didn’t get a goal, but it is now my lucky haircut so I will have to keep it and see how many goals I get with it.

“If I had the braids taken out like the lads had said on Thursday and Friday it might not have gone in, but the braids cushioned the ball in.

“I spent two and a half hours getting this done. It was long and too messy, I just wanted to do something different. The lads wanted it taken out, but there was no way they were getting their way. It had to stay in even though I got so much stick.”

How long Carroll’s thatched roof look will survive the dressing room jokers remains to be seen, but the Gateshead youngster’s debut was memorable for more than just his hairstyle. Although still very much a raw talent, the 20-year-old former Joseph Swan pupil was a constant danger to the West Ham defence and gave England centre-back Matthew Upson plenty of uncomfortable moments.

Indeed, the Magpies have not had a player give opposition defenders so much trouble physically since a certain Alan Shearer graced the black and white stripes. Comparisons with the legendary former skipper are premature at this stage, but Carroll made no secret of who he tries to base his game on.

He said: “I grew up watching Shearer, I had a season ticket to watch him and he was just scoring goal after goal and was brilliant to watch as a kid. Before Alan retired I had a training session with him and that was unbelievable, watching him close up just proved to me he was the best finisher ever. He talked to me, pulled me aside and did some finishing with me, it was a big help.

“It has been good to play alongside someone like Michael Owen as well. He talked to me throughout the game, kept my confidence up and kept the whole team going really.

“Michael was directing me, telling me where to go and my confidence grew throughout the game. I’ll remember this game for the rest of my life. Hopefully this is only the start.

“I know I still have improvements to make. I have a lot of things to work on, but every player does really and no one can say they are the finished article. I am only 20 and I have to do a lot of work on scoring goals in training and that’s what I intend to do. I’ve had a taste of the first team and I want plenty more.”