Former England striker Andy Carroll has thanked the public for their support after speaking publicly about being sexually assaulted by a man.

Carroll, 36, feared he would never fully recover from the trauma of the incident, which happened at his home in 2021 during a second spell at Newcastle United.

The perpetrator, a friend of Carroll’s former partner who was away at the time, was jailed for 20 months in 2023 after being convicted of sexual offences.

Carroll identified the man as television dance coach Kevin Adams in an interview with the Sun. Adams appeared on the BBC series Fame Academy in 2002.

Speaking to the Football Uncensored podcast, Carroll said the response to going public with his experience had been overwhelming.

“I’ve been beating myself up about it, and as soon as I’ve said it the support that I’ve received has been massive,” he said.

“And I think that’s the main thing really for me, that if I said that five years ago when it happened, maybe I would have felt a lot better now and then got over it.

“I’m happy with who I am, I’m happy with how I’ve dealt with it, and I’ve got the support around me with my partner, my family and friends, and now the public.”

Carroll, who played for Liverpool and West Ham and is now a player and co-owner of National League South side Dagenham, described the assault in his autobiography ‘Owning It’.

He said the incident happened while he was asleep.

He subsequently threw the man out of his home before knocking him unconscious when he tried to get back inside.

Carroll described giving evidence in court as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous”.

“It was eating me alive inside for so long,” Carroll said. “There’s certain things you can’t get over, and I’ll never, ever get over that.

“But now I know that people can see who I was then, in that time, and what I’ve been through and they help me and support me.”

Adams has not commented publicly since Carroll named him as the man who attacked him.

Details of help and support with sexual abuse or violence is available. BBC Action Line.