Former England striker reveals why he performed Scotland U-turn after agreeing to shock call-up

Former England striker Andy Carroll has revealed in his new autobiography that he reversed a decision to represent Scotland after initially accepting a call-up. Carroll, who qualified via his Scottish grandmother, was approached by then-manager Alex McLeish in 2008 as a teenager at Newcastle United. However, he telephoned McLeish to withdraw just before boarding a train to Glasgow after deciding he only wanted to play for England.

Carroll subsequently earned nine caps and scored two goals for England under manager Fabio Capello, featuring at Euro 2012. After spells with clubs including Liverpool and West Ham United, the 37-year-old forward now plays for sixth-tier outfit Dagenham & Redbridge.