Andy Carroll wins first game as Dagenham & Redbridge interim boss
Former Premier League striker Andy Carroll won his first game in charge of Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday, facing Torquay United at home in his debut as interim boss, reports BritPanorama.
The 42-year-old was handed the caretaker role after the club parted ways with manager Lee Bradbury earlier in the week, despite securing a midweek victory away at Farnborough.
Dagenham took the lead when George Marsh scored directly from a corner in the 75th minute. Carroll, who initially joined the Daggers as a player last summer, was promoted unexpectedly to the managerial position.
Torquay arrived at the ground having also made a managerial change, with Neil Warnock stepping aside after a short-term assignment while the play-off contenders searched for a permanent appointment.
Ahead of kick-off, KSI, the club owner, drew significant attention as he arrived at the stadium in a black vehicle. The 32-year-old YouTube sensation, whose real name is Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji, was greeted by crowds of families and young fans eager for autographs and photographs.
Supporters serenaded him with chants of “we love you JJ” and “we love you Dagenham” as he made his way into the venue. The atmosphere underscored the ambitions surrounding the club following KSI’s acquisition, with plans to navigate the Daggers through the English football pyramid, drawing parallels to the Hollywood-backed transformation at Wrexham.
To reach the EFL, Dagenham will need to gain promotion back to the national league and subsequently to League Two. They began Saturday’s encounter sitting 12th in the table, trailing the play-off places by six points, having played more matches than several promotion rivals.
As the dust settles on Carroll’s early days, the focus now shifts to whether the former striker can galvanise the squad for a sustained push up the table—an intriguing narrative as a fan-favourite steps into management.
