Ex England star who smashed British transfer record reveals he agreed to play for Scotland before major U-turn

Carroll reveals in his autobiography that he agreed to play for Scotland as a teenager but withdrew at the last minute, choosing to pursue an England career instead.

Former England striker Andy Carroll has disclosed in his autobiography that he initially accepted a call-up to play for Scotland during Euro 2008 qualifying, having qualified through his Scottish grandmother. However, the then-Newcastle teenager had a change of heart just before boarding a train to join the squad, calling manager Alex McLeish to withdraw. Carroll explained he had dreamed of playing for England since childhood and felt no emotional connection to Scotland, making the decision to pursue his England ambitions instead.