Back in 2019, when he was recovering from a 13th injury in seven years, Andy Carroll’s hopes of playing football into his 40s were no more than a distant dream.
Compounded by accusations of unprofessional behaviour from his younger days at Newcastle, even a sustained career deep into his 30s seemed improbable.
But the opportunity to carve out his place in history at fallen French giants Bordeaux is helping the 35-year-old stave off thoughts of retirement.
And while the towering former England striker is losing money by playing in France’s fourth tier, he tells BBC Sport his love for the game is driving him on.
“A lot of players, recently retired or nearing the end of their careers, have asked why I’m playing here in France, away from my family,” Carroll says. “I’m just enjoying it here.”
His debut for Bordeaux was impressive, scoring twice against Voltigeurs de Chateaubriant to claim a draw from 2-0 down.
And Carroll isn’t just playing for fun – he’s keen to help revive the club to its former glory, inspired by legends like Zinedine Zidane, Jean Tigana and Christophe Dugarry.
With Bordeaux’s gleaming 42,000-seater stadium and its rich history, Carroll’s ambition shines through: “I want to be part of this project,” he states, and perhaps play “another five years until I’m 40”.
He adds: “Everything – from the stadium to the training ground – is set up perfectly for what I need and want. The project going forward is to try for back-to-back promotions, to be part of a massive club, and to carve out my place in their history. It’s an opportunity too great to pass up.”
‘My ankle kept refracturing’ – West Ham injury ‘nightmare’
The summer move to Bordeaux meant dropping down two leagues from French second division Amiens.
In part, the enjoyment sought by Carroll is born out of a “nightmare” and “mentally difficult” spell at West Ham where injury derailed his career.
“At West Ham, I had surgery on an ankle fracture, and it didn’t really go to plan,” he says.
“I had pins and plates put in, and they weren’t the right pins and it refractured, so I had to go back in again and get it re-done, but it refractured again.
“I was getting to a point where I was back, ready for the first-team, and then I would refracture it. The screws would come out, or the bolts would come out. It was just a nightmare, setback after setback. It was just frustrating.”
Carroll admits he “struggled a lot” because he was “alone, going to get physio” while “seeing the lads having fun outside”.
He adds: “It’s mentally tough. Then you read things in the news like, ‘Oh, he’s always injured. He wants to be injured and get paid ‘x’ amount for nothing’, and it is hard.”
Carroll references off-pitch incidents earlier in his career, including a nightclub assault charge he admitted.
“As soon as a story came out in the media, I was tarnished with that brush, and you can’t shrug it off,” he says. “That’s how it is in England, and it’s something that I’ve had to deal with all my life and all my career.
“Everyone around me and my friends and family know that it’s completely the opposite.”
French football ‘gives me a different way of life’
After leaving West Ham, Carroll spent two years rebuilding his fitness at his boyhood club Newcastle, before dropping into the Championship with Reading.
He explains that those long spells on the sidelines in England have inspired his late career and delayed any thoughts of retirement.
“I haven’t really focused on finishing yet, so I can’t even think about what I’m going to do afterwards,” he says.
“If I wasn’t a professional footballer, I’d be playing it as a hobby. So, I’m just fortunate that I’m still playing at my age at the level where I’m enjoying it and getting paid for it.
“When I signed for Amiens, it was just a different way of life – just quiet and relaxed. Walking down the street was fine.
“I’ve been at the top level where people are on £100,000-a-week, and then you come to France and the lads are on nowhere near that, and they’re coming in every day, working hard and with a smile on their face. And we’re going home, having barbecues and stuff like that.
“It’s just a completely different way of life and it’s just brilliant. It’s just exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed in my life.”
Carroll is running his property business in the north east and regularly travels back to London to see his family.
“My sons keep saying, ‘Oh, you should go into management’. But I’ll keep saying well, ‘hopefully, one day, you’re old enough that you can join me and be my strike partner in the same team playing with each other,” he smiles.
“They are really good players. So that’s probably more my dream than retiring and doing something else.”