How Kevin Nolan helped Andy Carroll get back on track

West Ham United's Kevin Nolan (left) with team-mate Andy Carroll (right). Photo credit: Daniel Hambury/PA wire

Saturday, November 10, 2012
11:21 PM

West Ham captain Kevin Nolan believes he played a part in getting Liverpool loanee Andy Carroll’s career back on track when the pair were team-mates at Newcastle.

Nolan and Carroll have been reunited at Upton Park this season and travel to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle tomorrow.

During his time at Newcastle, Carroll was involved in a number of off-field incidents that threatened to derail his promising career.

Eventually Carroll moved in with Nolan, who claims the move had an impact on Carroll’s progression and now sees his friend as a far more mature person.

“When something goes on it gets exploded 10 times and with Andy up there it was magnified a thousand times,” Nolan said.

“A friend of ours rang me and said he just needs a place to live because he is on the way to buying a house and he is just staying in a hotel.

“Obviously I was big mates with Andy at the time and I was captain of the club and things like that and I think I was the only one stupid enough to say yes, and I knew he could cook.

“I just said, and he knew himself, that he had to keep himself out of those situations and he has learned so much.

“There is a different lad standing in that dressing room now than what there was when I first walked into Newcastle - there is a man in there now who can look after himself.”

Nolan and Carroll will face their former employers tomorrow, with midfielder Nolan hoping for a decent reception.