Andy Carroll accuses Brendan Rodgers of playing mind games with him

West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has revealed that Brendan Rodgers was not forthright with his dealings with the player during his time at Liverpool and that he switched between promises on an hourly basis.

The striker revealed that Rodgers would promise him something and turn back on his word ten minutes later, for which the player had lost complete respect for the manager.

The England international made the move to Liverpool in 2012 for a record fee but failed to establish himself in the side and was sent on a season long loan to West Ham, which was eventually made permanent.

However, Liverpool fans are unlikely to begrudge Rodgers, who has turned the club around with his management last season, which saw the Reds miss out on the Premier League trophy by only two points.

Carroll is currently thriving under Sam Allardyce, having scored five goals and assisted one in 13 starts for the club in all competitions, and will be looking for redemption when they travel to Anfield this weekend.

West Ham are currently above Liverpool in the table and the Merseyside club will be hoping to close the gap on the Londoners with a convincing performance.

"With Brendan Rodgers, there was a lot going on," Carroll told The Times.

"What he was saying to me and what was actually happening [were different things]. He was telling me one thing to my face, then I'd leave the training ground and he would ring me and tell me a completely different thing.

"He would say: 'You're going to play every week, you're going to play every game up front with [Luis] Suárez'. I'd leave and get home and he would ring me and say: 'Fulham and West Ham want you and I think it's best you should go.' I had just had a conversation with him ten minutes ago. So I would go back and see him and he would say the opposite again.

"It was the same thing round and round and round. On phone calls, it was: 'I think you should go.' To my face it was: 'You'll start every week'. It was mixed messages. He was messing with my head. I lost respect for him, to be honest.

"Another example: I went to Hearts for the [Europa League qualifier]. I got up there. He said I was starting. I woke up in the morning and he came in and said: 'I think you've got a hamstring problem, you're not going to start.' I said my hamstring was fine. He said I'd be on the bench. I got to the ground and I wasn't even on the bench. I was the only one missing out.

"It was just messing me about. I was angry. I knew it was time to go. I thought I just want to play football. I didn't need this. Under Brendan I knew I was never going to play, with what he was saying to me," Carroll concluded.