Carroll must forget price tag (From Halesowen News)

Carroll must forget price tag

7:17am Friday 13th July 2012 in National Sport © Press Association 2013

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler believes Andy Carroll will become a better player when he forgets about his £35million price tag and focuses on his personal strengths.

Fowler believes the hefty price the Reds paid for Carroll, who became the most expensive British player on the back of Fernando Torres' £50million move to Chelsea in January 2011, has weighed heavy on the striker.

"Liverpool is a massive club. What Andy has to do is forget about the price tag and let other people worry about that," said Fowler.

"It is not as if he was saying 'Buy me for £35million'. The clubs agreed a fee but he has to forget about that.

"At times last year he tried to do a little bit too much and tried to be a £35million player and not do the simple things that got him the move in the first place ie: being a tough forward to make and getting his elbows into defenders in a good old-fashioned English centre-forward way.

"He has to continue what he was doing at the end of last season in being a headache for defenders as he looked a totally different player to the one at the start of the season.

"I know he only started one game (at Euro 2012) but I thought he was fantastic and caused the Sweden defence a lot of problems.

"It was a little bit reminiscent of what he was doing for Liverpool at the end of the season when I think he believed in himself a bit more."