Former England international Andy Carroll has revealed that he was sexually assaulted at his home in 2021 while he was playing for Newcastle United.

The 37-year-old made the disclosure in his newly released autobiography, Owning It, saying he decided to speak publicly about the incident in the hope that it could help others.

Carroll said the assault occurred after a friend of his then-partner visited his home to watch a boxing match and planned to stay overnight.

According to the former striker, he was asleep when the man sexually assaulted him. Carroll said he threw the man out of the house and knocked him unconscious when he attempted to return.

He subsequently called the police and was left crying in the arms of his children's nanny.

The man denied the sexual assault but was later convicted of sexual offences following a trial at which Carroll gave evidence. He was sentenced to three years in prison, placed on the Sex Offender Register and banned from entering the village where Carroll lived.

Carroll described giving evidence in court as humiliating and distressing, saying the experience affected his daily life and made it difficult to concentrate on football.

He said he had initially been reluctant to include the incident in his autobiography but eventually decided to do so after discussions with his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale.

Carroll said the trauma had not disappeared, but hoped that discussing his experience publicly could encourage other victims to speak about what happened to them.

Carroll won nine caps for England and also played for Liverpool, Newcastle United and West Ham United. He currently plays for and co-owns National League South side Dagenham & Redbridge.