The relationship between the big pony-tailed Geordie and the amiable Scouse midfielder went beyond the boundaries of normal work-mates, and at one stage the former was a house guest of the latter after some well-publicised troubles. On the pitch, the pair worked wonderfully well together: Newcastle were set up to knock balls up to Carroll who would knock them back down for Nolan - a plan that came to perfect realisation against Sunderland. Off the pitch, the couple were apparently inseparable - as were a lot of the squad at the time - and when Carroll was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend it was Nolan who answered the call for a permanent place of residence for him (the conditions of his bail.) The picture that emerges from that is of an Odd Couple marriage as Nolan confirmed:
"I said he could stay, I cleared it with the missus, of course, first. She was down in Liverpool a lot of the time so we were like room-mates. He was a pretty good cook. Pasta with tomatoes, chicken, things like that."
