Andy Carroll reveals he was sent to Ibiza after sneaking out of England U19 camp

Andy Carroll was packed off to Ibiza by his club manager after being sent home from England U19 duty in 2007 for breaking a team curfew, the former striker reveals in his new autobiography, Owning It.

Carroll, then 18 and on loan at Preston North End from Newcastle United, was one of three players disciplined by England U19 head coach Brian Eastick after sneaking out of the team hotel. Chelsea prospects Scott Sinclair and Ryan Bertrand were the other two involved.

In the book, Carroll describes an elaborate escape plan that involved hiding tracksuits under a fire-exit staircase and propping the door open with a rock. The group made it no further than a nearby McDonald’s before Chelsea team-mate Sam Hutchinson called to warn them the manager was aware they had left. They sprinted back, only to find their tracksuits had been confiscated and goalkeeping coach Tony Parks waiting for them upstairs.

“He sent us straight to the gaffer Brian Eastick, who shouted at us for a few minutes about disrespecting our coaches, our team-mates and the shirt, before telling us that we were being sent home immediately,” Carroll writes.

Eastick confirmed the punishment at the time, stating: “I have found it necessary to send three players home for breaking our code of conduct. All the appropriate people have been informed and there will be no further comment at this time.”

Carroll had braced himself for further punishment on his return to club level, but his manager’s reaction was anything but stern — instead sending him on a holiday to Ibiza, an outcome Carroll describes as entirely unexpected given the circumstances.

The incident is one of several episodes from Carroll’s early career covered in the autobiography. The Geordie striker went on to become the most expensive British player when Liverpool signed him from Newcastle for £35 million in January 2011. Now 37, he is playing for Dagenham and Redbridge in the National League South, where he also serves as assistant coach and holds a minority shareholding in the club.