Ex-Newcastle United boss admits selling Andy Carroll was his 'worst’ January transfer moment

Alan Pardew has revealed offloading Andy Carroll for £35million “was the worst” moment he experienced in the January transfer window.

Just a month into his tenure, the former Newcastle United manager was dealt a crushing blow when Liverpool signed his star striker. Carroll had recently penned a five-year deal, been given the iconic No.9 shirt and scored 11 Premier League goals until that point.

A deadline-day approach left Newcastle with little time to find a replacement - leaving fans in uproar at Mike Ashley. Pardew ultimately steered the Magpies towards a comfortable safety but losing Carroll threatened the club’s top-flight status.

The Gateshead native failed to replicate his Toon heroics at Anfield, with injuries plaguing the rest of his career. Steve Bruce brought him back to Tyneside on a free transfer in 2019 following a six-year spell at West Ham United but that, too, proved unsuccessful.

Speaking to talkSPORT, ex-Newcastle boss Pardew lifted the lid on Carroll’s controversial exit over a decade ago. He said: “I lost Jermaine Defoe at West Ham, Demba Ba… but Andy Carroll was the worst one (player to lose in January). The last day (of the window) was a Monday, I was flying up from London as I’d been home to see my family.

“Derek Llambias rang me and said ‘The bids are getting close to £30million’. Being the football manager I am, I had a gin and tonic and decided it wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to sell him. I got back to Derek and said ‘If you get £35million maybe there’s a discussion’, thinking there’s no way Kenny Dalglish is going to spend £35million on Andy Carroll.

“I went to training, popped around, it was all enjoyable and lovely. Then there was the bid for £35million and we were all stunned. It was the British transfer record at the time and it was a massive problem for us. It left us really short.

“We had Leon Best and Shola Ameobi but it was going to be a battle to stay up and it was my first year at Newcastle. You can imagine how the fans felt.”