Scoring his first goal for England earlier this year, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is expected to play a key part in the remaining Euro 2012 qualification games. As he took part in the photo shoot for the new England Away shirt, we grabbed him for a quick chat about all things England…

How was it taking part in the photo shoot?

‘I’ve done a couple of similar things before, but not quite like that! It was pretty strange at first, shouting and singing the national anthem, but you kind of get into it.’

It’s the first time you’ve seen the kit, what do you think?

‘It’s a nice top, it feels good to put it on, and it’s a nice colour. It’s really smart.’

Can you remember England wearing blue shirts before?

‘To be honest, I don’t remember watching that much football as I was growing up, as I was always out playing it. I’ll watch games now, but at the time I just wanted to be out playing.’

How does it feel to travel to foreign countries and experience football in different atmospheres?

‘It’s good, for me personally to go out and see different things and other countries is really exciting. The atmosphere at some of the European games I’ve played in has been amazing. There were drums pounding throughout the game, they never stopped, it was great, to be honest.’

As a striker, what are the key things to remember when you’re playing in an away game like that?

‘You’ve just got to be alert and stay alert when you’re not involved. And then when the chance comes along you’ve got to take it, it’s as simple as that, to be honest. At away games you might have less chances than at home, but like I say you’ve just got to be switched on for when the chance comes.’

You scored your first goal for England earlier this year, how was that?

‘It was great, first of all to start the game against Ghana. I knew that if a chance came along I was going to take it, and as soon as it came along I knew I was going to score it. Sometimes, you just know that if you get the right touch, you’re going to bury it. It was unbelievable when it went in, obviously with it being at Wembley as well that made it extra special.’

With some key fixtures still to come, how are you feeling about the remaining qualifiers for Euro 2012?

‘Finishing top is what everyone’s committed towards. There’s only half the job done, so we just want to get the results in these forthcoming games and make sure we finish top.’

Thanks to Andy for taking the time to talk to us. In the picture above Andy Carroll wears the new England Away kit, which is available to buy now – you can now buy it direct from the Umbro website.