Carroll to pick up £150,000 bonus

Andy Carroll will pick up a staggering £150,000 loyalty bonus from Liverpool next month despite making only 13 starts since his £35million move from Newcastle.

Carroll negotiated the windfall, which will be paid in each year of his contract at Anfield, when he signed last January.

The 22-year-old striker, who has scored only four times for his new club, has a deal worth £60,000 a week basic but he is also paid an additional £10,000 for his image rights and a further £5,000 for each appearance.

He is also entitled to a salary increase if he plays in more than 60 per cent of Liverpool’s matches this season. That appears unlikely after Carroll’s failure to earn an automatic place in Kenny Dalglish’s side.

Lean spell: The striker has scored four times in just 13 starts for his new club after costing £35m

He had been detailed to partner Luis Suarez when the Uruguay striker was signed from Ajax, but they have shown little sign of developing an understanding.

Carroll’s reputation was enhanced when he scored 11 times in 19 appearances for Newcastle last season. That form led to an England call-up and Liverpool’s record transfer fee.

But, a year into his new career, Carroll has failed to justify either. Injuries have affected his form and confidence, but there is also persistent talk in the game that he has failed to settle on Merseyside because he is homesick.