a penalty which Carroll saved from Jamie Cureton, but Nicky Forster scored from the rebound to send Reading through. Manchester United He was signed by defending Premier League champions Manchester United in July 2001 for an undisclosed fee believed to be £2.5 million. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa on 26 August 2001. Carroll faced stiff competition against Fabien Barthez at United but won a Premier League winners' medal in the 2002–03 season. Carroll received yet more competition for the 2003–04 season, when Manchester United signed American goalkeeper Tim Howard after Barthez left to join Marseille. He won an FA Cup winners' medal in May 2004 when he came on as substitute for Howard in the 84th minute. On 19 February 2005, in an FA Cup match against Everton, Carroll was struck on the back of the head by any of various projectiles including coins and mobile phones, in a match high on security for teammate and Everton returnee Wayne Rooney which Manchester United won 2–0. Carroll gained his greatest infamy for the "goal that never was" against Tottenham Hotspur in January 2005; a speculative shot from the half-way line by Pedro Mendes that Carroll dropped well behind his goal-line then scooped back into play. The referee and his linesmen were unable to verify that the ball had gone over the line and the goal was not given. Though Carroll got away with that particular gaffe, his error led to him being dropped for a few matches. He made a second blunder in a 1–0 defeat by Milan, where he spilled a shot into the path of Hernán Crespo, who then scored. He was released by Manchester United on 27 May 2005 after his contract expired; he refused to sign a new deal after the club failed to assure him that he would be first choice for the next season. West Ham United Three weeks after leaving Old Trafford, Carroll signed for West Ham. Carroll enjoyed a successful start to his West Ham career, making 19 appearances. However, a back injury sustained in a game against Fulham on 23 January 2006 left him needing surgery, and he was sidelined for the remainder of the 2005–06 season, including the FA Cup Final against Liverpool. Shaka Hislop was his replacement. He made just 17 appearances in the 2006–07 season, due to personal problems relating to alcohol and