FOOTBALLER Andy Carroll has been seen for the first time since revealing he was sexually assaulted by a mystery male celebrity.
The brave ex-England ace, 37, candidly admitted in his new book Owning It that a famous pal had assaulted him at his home in 2021.
The striker – who now plays and coaches at Dagenham & Redbridge – was seen on Saturday afternoon ahead of the club’s National League South match against Richmond Borough at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Former Newcastle and Liverpool striker Carroll told how he woke up after a “few drinks” to find the “celebrity mate” attempting to give him oral sex.
He didn’t name the man – who was later jailed – in his bombshell autobiography.
Carroll said during the harrowing incident, he threw him out of his house and “smacked him unconscious” when he tried to get back in.
He then recalls phoning the police, before “uncontrollably sobbing” into the arms of his children’s nanny.
His attacker was later found guilty of sex offences and jailed for three years following a “humiliating and horrendous” trial, the footballer said.
He writes: “What happened to me affected every facet of my life.
“I’d think about it every day, making it difficult to focus on anything else, including football…
“The trauma of what happened to me hasn’t gone away.”
Carroll – who currently plays and acts as assistant manager at Dagenham & Redbridge – told how he had debated with girlfriend Lou Teasdale, 42, whether to speak about the attack.
But after “avoiding his publisher for so long”, he decided “at the last minute” to include it in his book.
And he hopes speaking out about his assault might help others.
He says: “Something happened to me a few years ago that was so traumatic I only decided to include it in this book at the very last minute.
“I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.
“Me and Lou spent a lot of time discussing whether to mention it in this book or not.
“I avoided my publisher for so long that they probably suspected I got cold feet.
“Scary to talk about but it’s made the person I am today as much as any of the good stuff.
“And if me talking about it helps just one person then good it will have been worth it.”
Carroll admits he’s had “more fun than your average player”, as he writes about strip clubs, holidays and “having a few too many drinks”.
And the ex-Three Lions star says he was “sensible” until his career progressed and his wages skyrocketed to £200k a week.
He said he “wanted an everyday life” and to “make mistakes without appearing in the papers”.
But he conceded that it was “bound to attract trouble”.
The book also accuses Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney of inviting players to booze in his room during international duty relating to Three Lions training camps around 2010-2011.
But Rooney, 40, is said to be “livid” and is threatening legal action for the claims in his former team-mate’s book.