Three weeks after his twenty-second birthday, a man from an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country learns that his services are so in demand that his salary has tripled overnight.

From now on he’ll be earning five million pounds a year.

His reaction?

“Gutted, mate.”

I have known Andy Carroll for 6 years and he is a great lad. A Newcastle fan at heart and someone who dreamt of wearing the NO.9 shirt at St James. He was proud to follow in Alan Shearer footsteps.I was with him with my mate Chris Liddle after the Sunderland game and he was adamant that he was staying and that a move did not interest him. Yesterdays events happened so quickly and I was stuck in the maelstrom of one of the biggest transfers in British history. This wasn\’t a set up. These texts have been made public with Andy\’s permission and I\’m happy to help my mate. I have helped set up his only interview which will break later today.Ask yourself what you would do in Andys position? A club that has already said they intend to buy young players and sell on at a profit. Football is a short career and you have to look after yourself in this world. This move was not engineered by Andy. He is a small cog in a big wheel. He is a rising star with a bigger pay packet now. As a fellow Gateshead lad I wish him all the best and will welcome him back to Newcastle anytime. I hope other fans will do the same. Good luck mate.

Here is a transcript of the texts that i made and received.

Sunday 30th January 14:37
SW: Are you leaving mate?
AC: I\’m not going anywhere mate.

Monday 31st January 16:28

SW: Liverpool in for you mate. Any truth in that?
AC: Dunno what\’s happening yet still mate. Thanks.

17:02
SW: Sky Sports say it\’s a matter of time mate. What\’s club said?
AC: they have kind of said we don\’t want u but want me to say I wanna go. And I said I don\’t want to go.

17:26

SW: Have you put in a transfer request?
AC: No I didn\’t that\’s what I mean that\’s what they wanted me to do and I said no.

17:27

SW: So they want you to go?
AC: They said they wanted to accept it.

17:28

SW: So you have no choice?
AC: Looks like it.

17:31
SW: Your agent will be doing ok out of this. When you going?
AC: I don\’t know mate. Gutted tho.

17:32
SW: Any message you want put across to the fans? I\’m happy to do that for you mate.
AC: They said they wanted the money.

17:37

SW: Anything else?
AC: Gutted to be leaving Newcastle but I was kind of pushed out the door.

17:41
SW: That it?
AC: Just what i\’ve just said really. Gutted to be leaving my home club but I was practically told to go. Didn\’t want to leave that\’s why i signed a 5 year deal.

17:47
SW: I will pass these onto the press lads I know.
AC: Sound mate.

17:56
SW: Can you give press lads a call to do an interview when deal done?
AC: I will yeah. I will speak to him later. Bit busy atm mate.

Firstly, Forlan failed in the Premier League and it has age would have been a huge risk, both in terms of ability and potential resale value.

Secondly, Kenny was not given a huge transfer kitty. His net spend on Saurez and Carroll after the Torres and Babel sales is less than 2m.

Even so, I do have the feeling that being known for ever more as Andy “Worth A Million More Than David Villa Apparently” Carroll could be an albatross that he’ll have more than a bit of trouble trying to shake off.

To put the silliness of the money – and the short-sightedness of English clubs’ scouts – in some perspective, in Spain over the last two years (i.e. very recently, economically speaking), Sevilla bought Alvaro Negredo for €15M and Valencia snapped up Roberto Soldado for only €10M. Both have scored more goals than Andy Carroll so far this season.

Final data point: The most expensive transfer in Spain during this window was the heady sum of six million euros. Might they have realised something that
English clubs still haven’t?