Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton revealed that he was interested in taking former teammate Andy Carroll to Memorial Ground, had the Reading move not gone through.

Barton lead to Gas to an unlikely promotion to the third tier last season, winning 7-0 on the final day to overtake Northampton Town in the last automatic promotion place.

Carroll, who signed a four-month deal with the Royals yesterday, had been without a club after his release from West Brom in the summer.

Barton, speaking to the media ahead of their clash with Lincoln City, admitted that he rang the former England international up- but the 6'4" striker was holding out for a move higher up the pyramid.

Reading Chronicle:

"I was speaking to Andy and he was saying he might have a Premier League move," he started. "It was like September 7, he’s my mate, so I said to him, ‘what are you doing? What are you going to do, sit in the house?’ He said, ‘look, I’ve had a bit of interest from abroad and I’m not sure if I’m going to do that. I’ve had Premier League interest’. I was like, ‘alright, no problem, hopefully it comes off for you.”

"And you never know whether they’re just saying that because their agent has said that or if there actually is. So I am like, okay, this is interesting but, as it transpires, he has gone to Reading. But I had gone, ‘If none of them (are interested) and you fancy playing we’ll have you.’”

Carroll and Barton were teammates at the former's hometown club, Newcastle United.

Both were instrumental as the Magpies won promotion to the Premier League in 200/10.