Exeter City added Tom Carroll to their ranks in July 2023, offering the midfielder a return to the game after a little over a year without a club.
Tom Carroll has had plenty of highs and lows over the course of his career. The Exeter City man started out in the Tottenham Hotspur academy, breaking into the first-team at White Hart Lane while also gaining experience out 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.
Tom Carroll, speaking exclusively for The72, told SkyBet, “It was tough being out of the game for a year.”
“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.
“Being absent is difficult, but football is a cruel sport.” It’s been nice to disprove people’s assumptions about my fitness and ability to run around, as I believe they no longer hold true.
For Carroll, though, it’s been more than just going back to a club. Since Boxing Day, the 31-year-old has played 39 times in all competitions and started all but one third-tier match for Gary Caldwell. He has established himself as a constant.
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.
“I feel fantastic after playing frequently. I feel powerful and have felt the best I have since Christmas, so it’s been fantastic.
Our goal as a team is to close out the season with a bang. We are in a strong position to go and attempt to rack up as many points as possible in the final seven games of the season because we recently finished a seven-point week prior to the international break.
Carroll, who was born in Watford, is 31 years old, and he hopes to have several more great seasons on the pitch. He is, meanwhile, presently pursuing a UEFA B licence with the intention of coaching after his playing career is over.
No mean feat
When injured athletes miss extended periods of time from the game, they frequently find it difficult to perform well when they return to regular football. Carroll has fared incredibly well to this point in the League One season, considering how little he had played consistently in the previous few seasons.
Only time will tell what the Exeter man experiences in the upcoming years. His decision to pursue a coaching licence raises the possibility that he will continue in the industry once his playing career ends.
But before then, the midfielder and the Grecians will be aiming for a spectacular season finale. For the Devon team, it would cap off a very eventful campaign, but as far as Tom Carroll is concerned, it’s one to be proud of.
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