Footballer Andy Carroll is reportedly set to tie the knot with girlfriend Lou Teasdale less than a year after separating from wife Billi Mucklow.
The former England striker, who’s currently playing in France for fourth-tier team Bordeaux, confirmed his split from Towie star Billi last September.
Andy, 36, got engaged to Billi in 2014 while he played for London side West Ham United, with Billi giving birth to three children between 2015 and 2022.
After nearly 10 years together, Andy and Billi tied the knot in 2022 but announced their split around two years later, with the two calling it quits in 2024.
Soon after, Andy began dating hair stylist and makeup artist Lou, who has been a friend and client of several big stars over the last decade, most famously One Direction.
The two have apparently started a new life for themselves in south-west France, as Andy’s playing career winds down after almost 20 years in football.
Speaking to The Sun, an apparent close friend of the pair said: ‘Andy is very close to proposing to Lou. They are madly in love. She is spending as much time as she can with him in France.
The source continued: ‘Andy has never been happier. Lou is exactly what he needs because she is a calming influence on him and it’s noticeable the change she’s had on him to everyone around them.’
In July last year, it was revealed that Andy and Billi’s marriage had come to an end after just two years, but the two are apparently yet to finalise their divorce.
Speaking about Andy’s prospective divorce from Billie, his close friend also told The Sun: ‘He’s been telling friends his divorce can’t come quick enough.’
In a chat with The Independent, the former Liverpool striker admitted that, while it apparently costs him money to play in France, he prefers his life out there.
‘In France, I live a much easier, simpler life. People recognise me in the street, but they respect me. That’s key to my happiness,’ he told the publication.
He continued: ‘I can go back to being Andy, the boy from the north of England. Not the Premier League star I was, if I ever was.
‘It would be unfair to say that popularity has taken more from me than it has given me, but sometimes it’s hard to manage those situations. Fame has its dark sides.’
Andy, who has two other children from a relationship he had previous to Billi, then revealed that he wanted to continue to play football until his 40s, despite his rent costing more than his monthly salary at Bordeaux.
Born in Gateshead in the northeast, Andy joined Newcastle United’s academy in the 2000s and made his first team debut for the Magpies in 2006.
His profile rose during his five years at the club, and he was soon snapped up by Liverpool for £35 million—at the time, he was the most expensive English footballer of all time.
Andy’s fortunes at Liverpool were mixed, however, and he joined West Ham just 18 months after signing a huge contract on Merseyside.
He fared much better at West Ham, eventually playing over 140 games for them, before a succession of short contracts at West Bromwich Albion and Reading brought his career in England to an end.
After playing for French side Amiens for two years, he dropped down two levels to sign for Bordeaux – a successful French side whose financial issues after the Covid pandemic saw them relegated three divisions.
Metro has contacted Lou and Andy’s representatives for comment.
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