02 September 2023 , 10:30
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Former England striker Andy Carroll has completed a surprise move to French Ligue 2 club Amiens after leaving Reading.
Carroll made the move after triggering a release clause in his contract with the League One side that allowed him to terminate his deal with immediate effect. The 34-year-old has now put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Amiens and will wear the number 99 shirt.
Carroll made 42 appearances and netted 11 goals across two stints at Reading. An exit always seemed on the cards for the striker once he was dropped by Royals boss Ruben Selles after starting Reading's first two league games this season.
Carroll played the full 90 minutes in 1-0 defeats to Peterborough and Port Vale before Selles decided to switch things up and put his trust in youth. Since then, academy graduates Caylan Vickers and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan have led the line for the Royals in League One.
They also completed several deadline day signings of their own, bringing in striker Dom Ballard on loan from Southampton as a replacement for Carroll. Defender Clinton Mola signed a one-year deal with the Royals after leaving Stuttgart, having spent last season on loan in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers.
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Youngsters Jayden Wareham, Charlie Wellens, Billie Clark and John Ryan have also joined the club. Amiens, meanwhile, currently sit second in Ligue 2 after picking up three wins from their first four games.
And Carroll has been tasked with firing in the goals for the French club after last season's leading goalscorer, fellow ex-Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse, left the club. Midfielder Frank Boya also completed a deadline day move to Amiens from Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
The move to Amiens means Carroll will be plying his trade outside of England for the first time in his career, having come through Newcastle's academy before earning a £35m move to Liverpool in 2011.
However, things did not work out for Carroll at Anfield, with the forward joining West Ham in 2012 after scoring just 11 goals in 58 appearances for Liverpool. He spent seven injury-hit seasons with the Hammers before returning to Newcastle in 2019.
After two more years at his boyhood club, Carroll joined Reading on a short-term deal in 2021 and impressed, earning himself a move to promotion chasers West Brom. However, things quickly soured at the Hawthorns and he returned to Reading the following season as they were relegated from the Championship after being hit with a points deduction.