Opening up about his feelings for stylist Lou in an exclusive interview with the Sun on Sunday, Andy said: "I love Lou and I love her family. We row like any couple."

Andy Carroll has revealed he is back with girlfriend Lou Teasdale after a stormy split

Footie star Andy and Lou in a holiday snap

The pair have been dating since his split last summer from ex-wife and former Towie star Billi Mucklow, 37. They are currently divorcing.

The 36-year-old former Premier League star said: "Things have been difficult for me and I'm going through a divorce.

"Some of our rows have been about alcohol, as Lou has been teetotal for 14 years and I have a beer or wine at dinner and a drink after the game, but it's not a problem in my life.

"I'm a professional footballer and that's not the case. I play sport every single day so my level of fitness is really good. I play football every day so I'm fit."

The Sun revealed on Wednesday the couple had split, with Andy unfollowing celebrity make-up artist Lou, 41, on social media.

But now he has told The Sun on Sunday that after a misunderstanding in Spain, he and Lou have patched things up.

Former Liverpool and Newcastle striker Andy, who now plays for non-league Dagenham & Redbridge FC, said: "We're better off together and we're trying to work through our difficulties."

In June, we reported Carroll was twice quizzed by police over bust-ups with Lou during a break on Greek party island Mykonos.

He was questioned about rows with her at a packed beachside restaurant and then at their hotel.

He was taken to the police station after the second incident.

A joint statement from them at the time said: "Whilst having a private dinner in a restaurant on a quiet holiday in Mykonos, we had a heated discussion of the sort that most couples have had on occasion.

"It quickly became apparent to the police that there was no reason for them to be there."

It added: "As far as we are concerned, the situation has been blown out of all proportion by an interested member of the public.

"No one was arrested and no one was charged with anything.

"We are very happy, in love and looking forward to our future together and we are disappointed that a private disagreement has become a public matter."

Andy returned to England last month, having left French fourth-tier side Bordeaux to play for Dagenham & Redbridge and to be close to his children, who live in Essex.

He said: "I just want to focus on my kids. They're more important than anything. I'm loving life back in England.

"Obviously when I was working in France, I was there alone, and I was out with the lads a lot. Now I'm back home with the kids and it's just a different way of life."

Last September, the Sun on Sunday reported Andy and Billi, who have three children, were divorcing after two years of marriage.

The couple started dating in 2013, soon after he joined West Ham.
And he popped the question during a romantic holiday in Rome in 2014.

That year Billi said: "He is one of the most genuine and caring people I have ever met."

Gateshead-born Carroll, who has two children from a previous relationship, has often been in the news over his romps, brawls and court cases.

He said meeting Billi turned his life around.

Carroll's boyhood dreams came true when he began his professional football career with Newcastle United in 2006.

The big centre-forward was soon a hit with Toon fans, following in the footsteps of another local idol Alan Shearer.

In 2009-10, Carroll scored 17 goals in 39 games, and 11 in nine games the following season.

In 2011, he earned a £35million transfer to Liverpool, a then record fee for a British player.

At his peak he was picked for England in nine games between 2010-2012, including scoring against Sweden at Euro 2012.

"I love Lou and I love her family, we row like any couple," What he told us this week.

He was sold by Liverpool to West Ham but struggled with a series of injuries.

His career saw him moving on to a succession of clubs including back to Newcastle, later to Reading and then West Brom.

Carroll's career, although full of ups and downs, has brought him enormous sums of money.

In May 2019, he was listed as the 14th wealthiest sports person aged 30 or under in The Sunday Times Rich List.

His fortune at the time was said to have increased to £19million.