Roy Carroll

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Personal information
Roy Carroll
Date of birth	September 30, 1977 (age 29)
Place of birth	Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Height	1.87m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	West Ham United
Number	1
Youth clubs
	Fivemiletown United Ballinamallard United
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995–97 1997–2001 2001–05 2005–present	Hull City Wigan Athletic Manchester United West Ham United	046 (0) 136 (0) 049 (0) 031 (0)
National team²
1997–present	Northern Ireland	019 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:03, 4 February 2007 (UTC). ² National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 23 May 2006 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Roy Carroll (born September 30, 1977 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West Ham United.

Carroll was brought up in Tamlaght, County Fermanagh, and began his career with local sides Fivemiletown United and Ballinamallard United. He then moved to England with Hull City. He was signed by Wigan Athletic in April 1997, and then by Wigan's neighbours Manchester United in July 2001.

Carroll faced stiff competition against Fabien Barthez at United, but won a Premiership winners' medal in the 2002-03 season. By the 2003-04 season Tim Howard was signed and Roy had yet more competition. He won an FA Cup winners' medal at the end of the 2003-04 season.

On February 19, 2005, in an FA Cup match against Everton, Carroll was struck on the back of the head by any of various projectiles including coins and mobile phones, in a match high on security for team-mate and Everton returnee Wayne Rooney which Manchester United won 2-0.

Carroll gained his greatest infamy for the amazing "goal that never was" against Tottenham Hotspur; a speculative shot from the half-way line by Pedro Mendes that Carroll dropped well behind his goal-line, then scooped back into play [1]. The referee and his linesmen - to universal amazement - were unable to verify that the ball had gone over the line. Though Carroll got away with that particular gaffe, his error led to him being dropped for a few matches. He made a second blunder in a 0-1 defeat by A.C. Milan, where he spilled a shot into the path of Hernán Crespo, who then scored.

He was released by Manchester United on May 27, 2005 after his contract expired; he refused to sign a new deal after the club failed to assure him that he would be first choice for the next season. Three weeks after leaving Old Trafford, Carroll signed for West Ham.

Carroll enjoyed a successful start to his West Ham career, making 19 appearances. However, a back injury sustained in a game against Fulham on January 23, 2006 left him needing surgery, and he was sidelined for the remainder of the 2005-06 season.

On 22 November 2006 it was widely reported that Carroll had entered rehabilitation for gambling and alcohol-related addiction. 'Stress' was cited by the Carroll family.^[1]

Carroll gained his first of 19 international caps on 21 May 1997 in a game against Thailand. For many years Carroll has fought a lost battle to be Northern Ireland's first choice keeper to the experienced Maik Taylor. On his 19th cap, Carroll was the starting keeper for Northern Ireland but was substituted through injury before half-time for Taylor to come in.

On March 19, 2007, the Scottish Star reported that Rangers are set to make a move for the goalkeeper and that Roy Carroll was wanting to make the move that he was willing to have a clause in his contract stating that if he was to either gamble or drink and the club found out then the club would be allowed to sack him.^{[citation needed]}