Ex England star who smashed British transfer record reveals he agreed to play for Scotland before major U-turn

Former England striker Andy Carroll revealed in his autobiography that he initially agreed to represent Scotland before changing his mind at the last minute. Eligible through his Scottish grandmother, Carroll accepted an offer from manager Alex McLeish during the Euro 2008 qualifiers while still a teenager at Newcastle United. However, just before boarding a train to Glasgow to join the squad, he called McLeish to decline the call-up.

Carroll explained that his childhood dream was always to represent England rather than Scotland. His international ambitions were eventually realized under Fabio Capello in 2010, leading to nine caps and two goals for the England national team between 2010 and 2013.