Andros Townsend describes pitch roller incident as 'terrifying'

Former England winger Andros Townsend, 35, who previously played for Tottenham, Luton and Crystal Palace and now turns out for PT Prachuap in Thailand's top division, has spoken publicly for the first time about a frightening incident that occurred before a match in Pattani on Saturday.

During the warm-up, a heavy pitch roller ran over Townsend's leg after a staff member operating the vehicle appeared to lose control. His left leg briefly became trapped underneath, but he escaped unhurt and later came off the bench in a match his side won 3-0.

Speaking on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored, Townsend said he felt fortunate to walk away with only bumps and bruises. He admitted the footage was difficult to watch back, but said falling to the ground at the right moment meant nothing was broken as the roller passed over him.

He recalled noticing two rollers positioned on either side of the pitch before the warm-up began and thinking it was unusual, though he did not dwell on it at the time. When the roller was fully on top of him, he described being partially crushed, managing to lift his left arm to relieve some pressure until team-mates helped lift the machine and pull him free.

Townsend said he feared in the moment that his left ankle or knee — both of which have previously undergone surgery — might have snapped. He was able to hobble away and recover within minutes, though team-mates were surprised he continued warming up rather than seeking medical attention.

He stressed the incident would not stop him continuing his career, having already dealt with numerous injury setbacks throughout his playing days. Townsend also made light of the episode on Instagram, joking that it made a previous away trip to Stoke seem not so bad in comparison.