Was Andy Carroll pushed to Liverpool

Alan Pardew claims Andy Carroll wanted a new contract at Newcastle United and insists the striker was not forced out of the club to join Liverpool.

Carroll capped a dramatic transfer deadline day by sealing a £35million move to Liverpool on Monday night, just a couple of months after signing a new Magpies contract.

Reports on Tuesday suggested the England cap did not want to leave St James' Park and that the home-grown prospect was pushed out of the club.

However, Pardew is adamant that was not the case and believes that money was a key factor behind the 22-year-old agreeing a record move for a British player.

Disappointed
Pardew told the Shields Gazette: "We didn't force anybody to leave. I disagree with that point.

"He had a contract here for five years, and at some point it would get renewed, but for him to sign in October and it get renewed in January - where would it stop?

"Personally, I'm disappointed. He's a lovely lad, and I really like him, but it was his decision, and you can't change that.

"Was this about football? That's what you have to ask. I don't think it was."

Newcastle had rejected Liverpool's initial offer for Carroll, but accepted the second after Pardew confirmed the club could not justify handing the powerful front-man another new contract.

Ramifications
He added: "We turned down a big offer, and they came back with a second big offer.

"We were having a discussion about what we were going to do with that offer when Andy requested to see me.

"I went to see Andy, and face to face we had a conversation about him wanting a new contract, even though he signed on in October, and (he said) if he didn't get that contract, he wanted to go.

"I asked him what he wanted, and I went to the board. We had a discussion about what the ramifications would be for the whole club.

"We took the view, with him signing a contract in October, that this would cause us all sorts of problems.

"We decided that we needed the conversation confirmed, and he put in a transfer request, which he did.

"He spoke to his agent, and between them they put the request in. We decided with the size of the offer, and what it meant to us, that we would accept.

"But no club is about one player. We're absolutely gutted that he's gone. It's disappointing, but we're not in a financial position like Liverpool."