Andy Carroll targeting England return after good spell of form for West Ham

“I’d love to be back in the England squad,” said Andy Carroll, back in his native North East, getting on for near enough six years since he became the nation’s most expensive footballer.

He was stood in a corridor near to a side exit at the Riverside Stadium, but there was no need to hide from the limelight. Carroll, now 28, spoke of his frustration with the injury prone tag that has blighted large spells since the end of January 2011, when he flew off from Newcastle’s training ground in a helicopter for £35 million, to Liverpool.

It has been stop start ever since, but he is fit now, however; football’s renaissance man ready to fulfil the potential that, on his day, renders the six foot five inch powerful forward largely unplayable.

A victory that took West Ham up to tenth place in the league table, two more goals, one a true throwback to a time when centre forwards looked differently in England, took his tally from seven Premier League starts this season to five. People had spent a week digesting the flying volley against Crystal Palace before he terrorised Middlesbrough’s defenders. There seemed a collective sigh from those in red shirts when he was withdrawn with 23 minutes remaining for a groin niggle he and Slaven Bilic insisted was nothing to worry about. In the immediate afterglow, his manager was making reference to God, and the film, the Perfect Storm and about the next five years of Carroll’s career being the best, about a player he believes is unstoppable.

Bilic insisted that the player finding a happy place in his life, settled in London with his partner and three children was also important, but the North East air, misty, sullen and almost claustrophobic as it hung over Teesside, seemed to help. Carroll almost looked 21, but for an overgrown beard.

“Everyone talks about my injuries and I can't really say that's unfair because over the years I haven't been as fit as I've wanted to be,” he said. “That's just what it is. I've got to put up with it and hopefully that's all in the past. I'm looking forward to many years of injury free football.

“I'm 28 now, so I want and need those injuries to be firmly in the past and I can play for the last few years of my career injury free. It used to annoy me when people described me as injury prone, but how many years has it been that I've been getting that? I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me any more. I can't deny that I've been injured more than I've wanted to be but that's over with and forgotten about.

“For the first goal I managed to lose my man and had a free run on it. I knew straight away with that connection that it was going in the back of the net. I haven't got a target on goals. It's just a case of keeping myself fit and working hard but obviously I'd love to be back in the England squad.

“Right now, it's important to just concentrate on West Ham. If the call comes, then fantastic. That's what I want, but instead of looking too far in front, I'm just concentrating on West Ham.”

Carroll, whose second was from close range, on a rebound, spoke of a flourishing team spirit that has helped revive his and his football club’s season. He spoke of Dimitri Payet and his possible departure being something the team could handle.

“Our response just proves what the lads have got deep down in themselves, our passion for football, for the manager and for our club,” he added. “It's everything. No one player is going to destroy anything. I think the fight that the lads have got, the fans standing behind us, it's all been great.

“It is a very tight knit group, certainly the tightest it has been since I joined West Ham. It's great just walking into the dressing room every morning. The lads have always got a smile on their faces, even when the manager has dragged us in on a Sunday morning when we don't really want to be there because we're supposed to be off. Everyone is together and we'll have banter about absolutely anything and everything.”

Bilic could not have enthused more about the centre forward and his impact.

“He is the only one that’s got that, you know, the movie Perfect Storm, he's got everything,” said Bilic. “It is God. Tall, they attack the ball, great timing, fearless, the leap, everything, they have got everything.

“I wouldn’t sell him for no money. No, no, no, no, no money. It’s impossible to replace a player like that.

“There is no reason to think other than the best is yet to come. He is a great age, he is totally happy, he is smiling, he is settled down, he has got three kids and he is very happy in his private life. He is happy with us and I think he has found his peace. There is no reason why he shouldn't now enter five years of his best football.”

Carroll was asked if he had enjoyed the crashing header that set his side on the road to their 3-1 victory at Middlesbrough as much as the scissor kick. “A goal is a goal, isn’t?” he replied. “Everyone else has gone on about that goal, but not me. I'm a centre forward and if I put the ball in the net off my back, my shoulder, my backside, an overhead kick, whatever, it comes up on the scoresheet as 'Andy Carroll’.

“For me that's all that matters.”