Andy Carroll: I didn't want to leave Newcastle. I was pushed into corner

Andy Carroll says Newcastle forced him out of St James' Park against his wishes, and made him feel "unwanted".

Forced out: Andy Carroll has said he did not want to leave Newcastle Photo: AP

By Thom Gibbs 1:05PM GMT 01 Feb 2011

Carroll, a Newcastle fan and traditional Geordie No.9, said he was "pushed into a corner" by owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias.

"Derek asked me to hand in a transfer request, so I was pushed into a corner and had no choice. I wasn't wanted by them and they made it clear they wanted the money," said Carroll.

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Chelsea's Fernando Torres says 'I'm at top level club now' after leaving Liverpool

Fernando Torres says the chance to play for a 'top level club' was his primary motivation behind his move from Liverpool to Chelsea.

Shake on it: Ron Gourlay (left) , the Chelsea chief executive, welcomes Fernando Torres Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Torres suggested that Chelsea are a bigger club than Liverpool, saying that his £50m move to Stamford Bridge meant that he was now playing for a "top level club."

The £45-million signing said: "The target for every footballer is to play at one of the top level clubs in the world, and I can do that now, so I am very very happy.

"Chelsea are the kind of tem which I like to play against because they motivate me, but they're also the kind of team I want to play for, because they're one of the biggest teams in Europe and they're always fighting for everything."

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