From the players that Andy Carroll played with at West Ham United, many have gone into coaching. Kevin Nolan has recently been sacked by Northampton Town, and Matt Taylor has been out of work since leaving Solihull Moors last year. Gary O'Neil, who is in charge of Strasbourg, has done the best.
Few fans would have expected Carroll to follow in their footsteps and become a manager. However, following Lee Bradbury's sacking at Dagenham & Redbridge, the club has announced that "Carroll will take the team on an interim basis."
Carroll is now a prominent figure at Dagenham. He joined the club last year following spells in France with Amiens and Bordeaux. He became a minority shareholder in the club under the then-Qatari owners. Now the Daggers also have the YouTuber, KSI, as a shareholder.
The former West Ham forward has scored six goals with two assists in 12 National League South Games this season. Dagenham are currently 12th in the division, with a slim chance of making the playoffs.
Andy Carroll's tenure at West Ham was marred by injuries
Carroll joined West Ham initially on loan from Liverpool in 2012. He had been a star at his hometown club of Newcastle United, but had failed to live up to expectations at Anfield. In his seven years at West Ham, he played 142 times, scoring 34 goals and providing 16 assists.
Memorably, Carroll scored a hat-trick against Arsenal in the final season at Upton Park. He also scored a phenomenal bicycle-kick against Crystal Palace, shortly after Dimitri Payet had refused to play for the club. He also set up Nolan for many knockdowns.
After his spell at West Ham, Carroll returned to Newcastle, and then played for Reading and West Bromwich Albion before his time in France. He is now back in the West Ham area of Essex, and at a club which is often a second team for many Hammers fans.