We are delighted to announce the signing of striker Andy Carroll on a short-term deal which will see him bolster our attacking options until mid-January.
Carroll has been training with Paul Ince’s first team at Bearwood Park this week and this morning he put pen to paper on a four-month contract which could see him play a part in as many as 19 games as a Royal in 2022-23.
The 33-year-old forward completed a similar move to RG2 last season, scoring twice in 6(+2) appearances as a Royal – an unforgettable strike in a dramatic 3-2 win at Swansea was followed by a towering header on Teesside in his final game in Reading colours.
He found the net on three more occasions last season as he spent the second half of the campaign at West Bromwich Albion, but now he is back in blue and white.
Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said: “Andy is a striker with proven pedigree and so much experience in the game. It is also so important that he is a player who already knows this club and the fight we will need to show to rise to the challenges we expect to face during the course of this season. And, above all else, Andy is a top-class professional. So I’m delighted he has chosen to return to Reading!”
Of course, Carroll brings with him not just a proven goal threat, but a wealth of experience at the very highest level.
He made his introduction to top-flight football when he helped Newcastle United earn promotion, won the League Cup and scored in an FA Cup Final as a Liverpool striker before competing for Premier League points with West Ham United and then in a second spell on Tyneside.
Internationally, Carroll has been capped nine times by England since making his debut against France in a friendly in November 2010. And he found the net twice for the Three Lions; his first was in a friendly against Ghana before notching another in a 3-2 win over Sweden at Euro 2012.
During his short spell at the club last season, Andy made a big impression on the Royals fans. Now, we are delighted to reveal, he is a Royal once more!
Manager Paul Ince said, “I am really pleased to have Andy with us. Of course, a striker of his prowess gives us power and a battling presence at the top of the pitch and I’m sure that will translate into goals. However, Andy’s arrival also offers us another strong voice in the dressing room. He is a leader, both on and off the pitch, and having trained with us all this week I can already see the positive influence he will have on the players around him and the boost he will no doubt give to the fans.”
Welcome back, Andy!
