West Ham co-owner David Sullivan admits £15m move for Andy Carroll has not been worth it after injury jinx
Carroll is yet to play for the Hammers since completing his permanent move from Liverpool in the summer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.West Ham would not have splashed out £15million on Andy Carroll had they known the England striker would spend so long out injured, Hammers co-owner David Sullivan has admitted.
Carroll has not played for the London club since his move from Liverpool was made permanent in the summer, with Sam Allardyce's side managing just 13 goals in 15 Barclays Premier League games in his absence.
The 24-year-old has spent much of his rehabilitation receiving treatment in Belgium and Holland but is still at least three weeks away from returning from a double fracture in his right foot, which was sustained as he battled back from a heel problem.
"Had we known he would be out for this long, we would not have signed him," Sullivan told the BBC's Football Focus.
"We are not a rich enough club to deal with that. You know any player can get injured, but we can't buy a player knowing he is going to be out for half the season.
"When we signed him we were assured by the medical staff that the very, very latest he would be back was 1 September. That would have meant he would only miss two league games."
Sullivan retains hope Carroll will prove his worth for the club, though, saying: "If you ask me the same question at the end of the season, I hope I will be able give you a different answer and say 'Yes, it was the right decision to sign Andy Carroll'.
"He is a fantastic player and on his day he is unplayable. We love him and that is why we signed him. He is desperate to come back; he is sweating blood in training."
Sullivan acknowledged he was worried about the depths the Hammers have sunk to in Carroll's absence - Allardyce's team headed into Saturday's game against Sunderland outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
"I am deeply concerned," he said. "Anybody who looks at where we are in the table and is not concerned are kidding themselves."
However, he maintains confidence in Allardyce.
"I really believe Sam is the man for the job," he said.
"If he wasn't our manager he is exactly the type of manager you would be bringing in to be the manager. Where do you get someone better than Sam to do the job that is now necessary?
"If you asked me what kind of season Sam has had up to now, I would say 'disappointing'. But let's judge him at the end of the season.
"I think the Newcastle manager would have been sacked by most fans after a month of the season but now he is flavour of the month."
PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments