Andy Carrol joins Hammers

West Ham United have completed the signing of former England striker Andy Carroll from Liverpool for a club record fee £15m. Carroll, 24, cost Liverpool £35m but was loaned out to West Ham in August, scoring seven goals in 24 games.

The former Newcastle United forward has signed a six-year contract, with an option for a further two years. "It's fantastic for me to be here. I really enjoyed last season, and that shows in me coming back and making it permanent," Carroll said.

The transfer fee was agreed in May, but the former England international was said to be unsure about a move before a World Cup year. Carroll added: "The fans, the lads and the club itself have been great to me, and what I wanted to do was come back here and play football.
"Since the end of the season I've had a lot of time to think, I've missed it and that's why I'm back.
"Getting promoted the season before last, then finishing where we did - we did great, and it can only get better for us.

"The way the club's being run, obviously getting the new stadium and everything like that, it's only going up." Carroll, who made his England debut in 2010 and has won nine caps, was signed by Kenny Dalglish for Liverpool on transfer deadline day in January 2011, for what remains a record fee for a British player. He had impressed by scoring 31 times for his boyhood club Newcastle in 81 appearances, but his time at Anfield was short-lived.