FORMER Premier League winger Andros Townsend has sparked a fan frenzy after clips emerged of him playing on a pitch that fans claim “looks like a golf course”.
The ex-Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Everton star, now 34, is currently playing in Thailand for Kanchanaburi City Power.
Townsend made the surprise move earlier this year after a short spell in Turkey with Antalyaspor, and fans have been stunned to see him turn out in such unfamiliar surroundings.
But it wasn’t the location or the weather that got people talking, it was the state of the pitch.
Footage from a recent Kanchanaburi Power match has been doing the rounds on social media, showing Townsend gliding past defenders on what appeared to be a barely-grassed, uneven surface.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
One wrote: “He’s gone from Goodison Park to what looks like a Sunday League park pitch.”
Another said: “Genuinely thought this was a driving range. Looks like a golf course.”
A third added: “Thought he was playing rugby by the way he was walking and the state of the pitch..”
Townsend, who has 13 caps for England and once scored a 20-yard strike against Italy, is yet to comment on the viral video.
He joined Kanchanaburi Power in the summer in search of regular football after a few injury-hit seasons in England and a short stint abroad.
During his career, Townsend made over 250 Premier League appearances and became known for his powerful left foot and long-range goals.
He enjoyed notable spells at Spurs, Newcastle and Crystal Palace before spending two seasons at Everton, where injuries disrupted his run in the team.
Despite the criticism of the pitch, Townsend appears to be enjoying life in Thailand, regularly posting updates from training and matchdays.
When he joined in August, Townsend said: “Towards the back end of last season I was playing in Turkey and I hadn’t been paid a few month’s salary.
“The club said to me ‘you can take your salary – but you’re never going to play for the club again’ so I took the salary.
“I hadn’t played since March, got a bit frustrated, so in the summer I said to Marlon [my agent] I don’t care where I go, just take me somewhere nice, interesting and tropical.
“He came back with one or two options in Europe but for some reason my gut was just really interested about the option in Thailand.”
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