Career in Pictures: Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend
Townsend has a very consistent season for Palace.
Crystal Palace head to Newcastle United this weekend with both sides slowly pulling clear of relegation trouble.
The Eagles sit 13th in the table on 36 points, while their opposition Magpies site a point and place below them, seven points clear of 18th placed Cardiff City.
A player who knows the St James’ Park atmosphere better than many other of his Palace teammates is winger Andros Townsend.
The 27-year-old spent six months on Tyneside before he opted to move back to London after Newcastle were relegated in 2016.
Townsend’s career has been an interesting one having played for 12 different clubs across England’s top three divisions and at senior level for England.
So ahead of his return to the North East, Shoot has been digging around in the archives for five of the wide man’s defining career moments to date…
5. Dream Debut
Townsend against Charlton Athletic on his Spurs debut.
In 2011, Harry Redknapp handed Townsend his Spurs debut at the age of 19 against Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup.
And he failed to disappoint by scoring his side’s opening goal in a 3-0 win and picking up the Man of the Match award.
However, the talented teenager would then have to wait longer than expected to really become a regular in the famous white shirt.
4. Load of Loans
Townsend on loan at QPR in 2013.
Townsend started his career at Tottenham Hotspur, joining the North London side’s academy at the age of eight.
However, before establishing into Spurs’ first-team he went out on loan to nine different clubs (Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Ipswich Town, Watford, Millwall, Leeds United, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers) in five seasons.
A turning point came in the 2012/13 campaign where he impressed in the Premier League under Harry Redknapp at QPR.
He was subsequently brought back to White Hart Lane where he became a regular on the right flank.
3. Talk of the Nation
Townsend celebrates after scoring against Montenegro.
Now 21, Townsend from QPR full of confidence and started the season in fine form for Tottenham.
This saw him included in the England squad for the first time for crucial World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.
Although he didn’t appear in those fixtures it was just a month later when he made his Three Lions debut, scoring and named Man of the Match in a 4-1 win against Montenegro.
Townsend’s name and picture was spread across the back page of every newspaper the night after that victorious night at Wembley Stadium.
2. Magpie on a Mission
Townsend scoring a free-kick for Newcastle, ironically against Crystal Palace.
After failing to start a Premier League game for Spurs at the start of the 2015/16 season, Townsend decided to move to Newcastle United in January for £12million.
The Magpies were in a big relegation fight but their new man was doing all he could to try and save them from the drop.
In 13 appearances, the Londoner scored four times but it was not enough as the Toon finished 18th, two points from safety.
1. Fly like an Eagle
Townsend celebrates his wonder goal at Man City.
Despite the fans taking to Townsend on Tyneside, the winger opted to stay in the Premier League and moved to Crystal Palace for £13million in the summer of 2016.
And the wide man has been a consistent figure at Selhurst Park ever since, playing over 100 Premier League games.
The current 2018/19 campaign has been his most productive in front of goal with seven to his name so far, including a Goal of the Season contender in Palace’s shock 3-2 win at champions Manchester City in December (find it online if you haven’t seen it)