allowing the midfield player to play again after going more than a year without a club
Tom Carroll’s career has been filled with many highs and lows. The Exeter City player began his career in the Tottenham Hotspur youth before making his White Hart Lane debut and earning experience on loan.
During his early career, he was a frequent member of the England U21 squad while playing for Spurs, where he recorded three goals and five assists in 56 games.
Carroll left North London, though, and was probably at the height of his abilities when he joined Swansea City in 2017 following a couple of seasons on loan. The Swans would see him play 103 times, which is the most he has ever managed for a single team.
After leaving the South Wales team in 2020, there have been difficult times.
Injury plagued Carroll’s spells at QPR and Ipswich Town, and he left the latter in 2022. Before making a comeback to the game, he would spend a full year with Exeter City in League One. Although the past year was difficult as well, the midfield player is pleased with his comeback and ability to disprove his detractors.
“During that time, I returned to Tottenham and trained with the U23s to stay in shape and feel good. This gave me the confidence I needed to pick up football again and really go for it.
“In order to feel good and stay in shape, I went back to Tottenham and trained with the U23s during that time.” I was able to start up football again and really go for it because of this confidence boost.
With his current total, he has made more appearances in a season than he has since the 2017–18 Swansea campaign. He also wants to go out on a strong note, with Exeter City sitting in 15th place in League One and 11 points above the drop.
When players hampered by injury spend spells out of the game, they often struggle to return to regular football at a good level. Carroll has done brilliantly to endure the rigours of the League One campaign to date though, especially given how little consistent football he had played in the few seasons prior.
Time will tell just what the coming years bring the Exeter man. His move to work towards a coaching license suggests he may well stay in the game once his playing days come to an end.
Until then though, the midfielder and the Grecians will be hoping to end the season in impressive fashion. It would round out a pretty turbulent campaign for the Devon outfit but on an individual level, it’s one Tom Carroll should be proud of when it comes to a close.
