Liverpool ace left in 2013 after a disastrous transfer - now he's transforming a fallen European giant

Today at 01:30 PM

Liverpool is a club where many great players have arrived and failed to showcase the best they have to offer.

The pressure of playing for such a big team at the top end of the Premier League can often get to stars and it is something that is not only evident at Anfield but also down the road at Man United, with names such as Jadon Sancho being a prime example.

Within Arne Slot’s current squad, Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool with great excitement around him but has failed to be the goalscorer Reds fans want him to be.

The Uruguayan is not the only one, Naby Keita failed to live up to his £53m price tag, while Christian Benteke and Iago Aspas have been goalscoring machines at other clubs, but could not replicate that on Merseyside.

Arguably the biggest disappointment of them all arrived at Liverpool in 2011 for a club-record £35m and having endured some tough years in his career since leaving the Reds, the striker is having a huge impact at a historic club in France.

READ MORE: Liverpool's January transfer spending through the years including Andy Carroll and Virgil van Dijk deals

Andy Carroll and Bordeaux is a match made in heaven

Andy Carroll has played for several of England’s biggest clubs having had spells at Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham.

Having failed to reach the heights he displayed at St James’ Park, the 36-year-old moved to France to play for Ameins in 2023 following a stint at Reading.

That caught the attention of Bordeaux, a historic club crowned French champions six times since being founded in 1920.

At the end of the 2023–24 season, Bordeaux was administratively relegated to the Championnat National (fourth tier of French football), having suffered from financial issues.

Bordeaux began the current campaign in that division winless but since signing Carroll in September, Les Girondins currently find themselves third in the league standings.

Carroll has played a huge role in this having scored eight goals and assisted a further one across 10 league games for Bordeaux.

Liverpool fans hoped the striker would have had this impact at Anfield during his spell with the Reds, but that ultimately never happened.

READ MORE: 'We were all stunned'… Alan Pardew now admits he was shocked by transfer bid Liverpool once made

Why did Andy Carroll fail at Liverpool following big-money move in 2011?

Carroll arrived at Liverpool in 2011 from Newcastle admit a lot of fanfare blowing away the Premier League during the first half of the 2010/11 campaign with his 11 goals and eight assists.

The English striker suffered from injury issues upon his arrival at Anfield, which did not get him off to the best of starts. He followed that up with four Premier League goals throughout his first full campaign on Merseyside.

Liverpool were not going through the best period in their history during the striker’s time at the club and having arrived at the same time as Luis Suarez, the brilliance of the Uruguayan star did not help Carroll’s struggles with the Reds.

Carroll has since admitted that he did not regret moving to Liverpool back in 2011 and having found a new home where he is happy in Bordeaux, Liverpool fans will likely be pleased for their former star.