'Newcastle couldn't believe Liverpool's £35m bid for Andy Carroll'

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Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has admitted he had no belief that Liverpool would agree to splash out £35 million to buy Andy Carroll in 2011.

Carroll, who had found the back of the net 11 times in 19 league games for Newcastle up until January, was one of the most in-form centre-forwards in the country in the first half of the 2010/11 Premier League campaign.

He was sold to Liverpool on Deadline Day in January 2011 in what was then a record fee for a British footballer.

Talking about the situation on the talkSPORT BET January Transfer Window Show, Pardew revealed he had not anticipated Liverpool's willingness to meet the lofty asking price.

I think the last day was on a Monday, and I was flying up from London as I’d been home to see my family.

I was just getting on the flight and [then-Newcastle managing director] Derek Llambias rang me and said the bid is getting really close to £30m and when you get off the other end we might be doing this deal.

Being a football manager and the sensible person I am, when I was on the plane I had a little gin and tonic and decided that was not enough because I didn't want to sell him.

When I got off the other end I got on the phone to Derek and said "I think if you get £35m then there's a discussion," thinking there's no way Kenny Dalglish is going to spend £35m on Andy Carroll.

I went to training, popped around and it was all enjoyable. Then there was the bid for £35m, we were all stunned.

Signing on the same day as Luis Suárez, Carroll's big-money move to Anfield did not turn out to be such a success.

The Geordie netted just 11 goals in 58 appearances for Liverpool before he was offloaded to West Ham United for £15 million just two years after arriving in Merseyside.

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