Andros Townsend Describes Terrifying Moment He Was Run Over by Pitch Roller in Thailand
Former England winger Andros Townsend has shared his harrowing experience of being run over by a pitch roller during a warm-up in Thailand, calling it "terrifying."
Townsend, who now plays for PT Prachuap in Thai League 1, was warming up for a match in Pattani on Saturday when a staff member lost control of the heavy roller. His left leg became briefly stuck under the vehicle, but miraculously, he emerged unhurt.
Speaking to Piers Morgan on Football Uncensored, Townsend recalled the incident:
"Every time I see it, I'm cringing, I'm in disbelief... thankfully I was fortunate I did manage to fall onto the floor at the right time, so nothing snapped as the roller went over me."
He expressed surprise at seeing two pitch rollers on either side of the pitch during warm-up and noted his team-mates were initially shocked when he continued.
"It was quite heavy... I was able to kind of lift [it], force it off me... So when it was completely on me, I was getting crushed a little bit."
Townsend, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, emphasized that the roller incident will not stop him from continuing to play. He jokingly referenced an earlier Instagram post comparing his current Thai away trip to a previous visit to Stoke's Bet365 Stadium, writing: "It turns out Stoke away wasn't so bad after all."