Andy Carroll vows to stay and fight for his place at Liverpool

ANDY CARROLL has vowed to stay and fight for his place at Liverpool after putting in one of his best performances in a red shirt as they dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The forward insisted that he was settling down on Merseyside on a weekend when there when rumours began to circulate that Liverpool had approached Manchester City about a possible swap for Carlos Tevez. Liverpool have strenuously denied the story, but The Guardian reports that "sources elsewhere insist an approach was made".

Neither is it the first time that Carroll has been rumoured to be heading for the exit, a return to Newcastle was suggested earlier this month. "Carroll himself will certainly be seeking reassurance from his club about the validity of the claims," reports The Daily Telegraph.

But after Saturday's 2-1 win, Carroll was unequivocal in his desire to stay put at Anfield. He said "I love it here. All the lads are great with me in training and away from the training ground everyone has been great with me as well."

When asked if he was unhappy at the club the burly striker brushed the notion aside saying "No, not at all ... I've signed a contract here and this is the team I'm playing for."

Carroll was instrumental in both goals as Liverpool beat United on Saturday and his nifty flicked header set up teammate Dirk Kuyt for Liverpool's late winner. The performance has helped eased some of the pressure building on him.

He said he felt things were finally coming together for him on Merseyside, saying "I think I'm just getting into my stride now. Everyone is getting used to how I play and I'm getting used to everyone else ... now I just need to get going."

Carroll made headlines in January last year when he joined Liverpool for a club record fee of £35m. He has since struggled to settle in, netting just six times in 35 appearances, and attracting criticism for his lifestyle and fitness record. ·