Andros Townsend Survives Pitch Roller Accident in Thailand

Andros Townsend has lived through bad tackles, long layoffs and lonely rehab rooms. But nothing in a long, bruising career prepared him for being run over by a pitch roller in Thailand – and then finishing his warm-up.

The 35-year-old PT Prachuap forward was inches from serious injury before an away game in Pattani in Thai League 1, when a member of staff apparently lost control of a heavy roller. The machine clipped the lower left side of Townsend’s body and went over him.

He somehow walked away with just bumps and bruises. Then played in a 3-0 win.

On the programme "Football Uncensored", the former Premier League winger admitted the footage still shakes him.

"Every time I watch it, it sends shivers down my spine. I can hardly believe it. It's terrible to watch it again and realise what could have happened."

His survival came down to instinct.

"Luckily, I was fortunate enough to manage to throw myself to the ground at exactly the right moment, so that nothing was broken when the roller went over me."

From curiosity to chaos in seconds

Townsend had actually clocked the roller before any of this unfolded.

"I remember thinking: I've never seen that in my career before, what are they doing? But we were called out for the warm-up. I didn't think anything more of it," he said.

The next time he noticed it, he was underneath it.

"The next time I saw it, I was literally underneath it. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. A few bumps and bruises, but I got away unscathed."

For a player whose body has already paid a heavy price in the English top flight, that first impact brought an instant dread. Townsend, capped 13 times by England and once a flying winger for Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Luton Town, knows his weak points all too well.

His left knee and left ankle have both been operated on. Those were the first places his mind went.

"I thought either my left ankle was going to break or my left knee. I thought I was done for. I was very lucky that I was able to limp away from it and recover within a few minutes," he said.

Fighting off a roller

Even while trapped, Townsend was still trying to battle his way out.

"It (the roller) was pretty heavy, but I somehow managed to lift it and push it away from me," he recalled. "When it was then completely on top of me, I was getting a little crushed. I was able to lift my left arm and relieve some pressure that way."

That bought him just enough time.

"Then I managed to gather my team-mates around me, who were able to lift the roller, and I could wriggle out. But at the moment it crushed my left leg, I have to say, it was pretty frightening."

Team-mates urged him to stop, to get checked, to think long term. Townsend did what footballers of his generation often do: he carried on.

"My team-mates were very surprised that I carried on with the warm-up. They told me to go to the doctor," he said.

He finished the session, then played his part late on in a comfortable 3-0 victory. The club do not expect the incident to affect his move to Southeast Asia or the remainder of his career. As far as he is concerned, the accident will "definitely not stop him from carrying on".

From Stoke jokes to Thai reality

Townsend chose humour to process it. Not long after the scare, he went on Instagram and referenced an earlier joke he had made about conditions in Thai away grounds, comparing them to the notoriously testing trips to Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium.

This time, he posted: "Away at Stoke wasn't that bad after all."

A veteran who has already come through serious injuries in England has now survived a freak accident in Thailand. The question now is simple: after a pitch roller has gone over your leg and you still play on, what exactly is left that can stop you?