Andy Carroll has criticised a West Ham chant and says abuse he received made his happy Hammers spell a nightmare.

As most will know former Hammers striker Andy Carroll married into a family of West Ham fans when he got together with Billi Mucklow.

And it was great to see him join some of them in following West Ham out to Holland for that European semi-final against AZ Alkmaar.

Carroll was pictured on the beers and joining in chants with West Ham fans in Holland ahead of that memorable 1-0 win which set up the final against Fiorentina.

As reported by The Daily Mail at the time, footage posted online at that game also showed Carroll laugh along with West Ham fans as they sang their chant about him which contains a reference to the forward and taking drugs.

But inside he wasn't laughing it seems.

Because Carroll has criticised a West Ham chant and says abuse he received made his happy Hammers spell a nightmare.

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Speaking in an exclusive with The Daily Mail about his new life in France, Carroll says he was happy at West Ham and loved his time at the club.

But he reveals his time turned stale and abuse he received made him 'fall out of love with everything' and not want to leave the house.

Carroll says people were making up stories about him while also criticising the drug chant sang by West Ham fans.

"People were making up stories about me and the media were getting hold of it. It was coming on me all the time. This happened, this happened and then it's, "Andy Carroll's on drugs" and they're singing a song about me. The people close to me know that I don't take drugs and never took drugs.

"I wasn't injured because I wanted to be injured! At West Ham I had a moment where I just fell out of love with everything. I was so depressed. I didn't leave the house, had to wear a hat if I did. Wouldn't go out for dinner, lunch, anything. I just hated everything and everyone. I was getting abuse for being injured. It all come together and I'd had enough. I had to speak to people. I still speak to them now, if I'm honest. I went through mad times in my head. Thought about quitting, I was done with it all.

"Everywhere I went I had a hat on. I wouldn't go anywhere without a hat. I've got so many hats in my house and I don't even like wearing hats! I've probably got one for every day of the year."