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Carroll wasn't forced out - Pardew

Andy Carroll has waved farewell to Newcastle after joining Liverpool © PA Photos

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Alan Pardew has lashed out at Andy Carroll's claim that Newcastle forced him into a £35 million move to Liverpool on transfer deadline day.

A series of text messages sent by Carroll, published in the Toon Talk fanzine, said that he felt he had been pushed out after Newcastle decided to accept Liverpool's offer. The England international insists that he wanted to stay with the Magpies.

Pardew has denied this claim vehemently, asserting that Carroll asked to leave the club after his request for a new contract was rejected because his current deal was only signed in October.

"First and foremost, I wish Andy Carroll all the best at his new club. He's someone we'll miss, not just as a player but as a character in the dressing room," Pardew said. "When it comes to some of the things he's said, he's probably slightly misguided. No-one twisted his arm and forced him to leave.

"If Andy really wanted to stay then he could have stayed - but he isn't here."

Pardew added to the Shields Gazette: "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?

"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 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.

"We weren't expecting him to go, so we weren't in a position to replace him. One thing I can guarantee, having spoke to Mike Ashley, is that every penny will go back into the club. Mike's assured me he won't take a penny out of the transfer.

"So for the Newcastle fans, the most important message I can give is all that money will be used. Could we have used it last night? We made a few bids but had extortionate figures thrown at us. Ridiculous amounts. Were we going to play an over-inflated price for possibly an inferior product to Andy Carroll? No. So I'm sitting here weaker than I was yesterday."

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