Andros Townsend’s half-time warm-up in Thailand took a startling turn on Saturday when the former England international was struck and briefly trapped beneath a pitch roller at PT Prachuap FC. The 35-year-old escaped with bruising and contusions, then came on in the second half despite the shock around him.
The move
Townsend has been playing in Thailand since 2025, following a career that included spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Crystal Palace. He has made 13 appearances for England and scored three international goals.
His latest match produced an incident far removed from the usual risks of professional football. Two rollers were positioned at opposite sides of the pitch as PT Prachuap prepared for the second half. Townsend had noticed them before going out to warm up, but did not expect them to remain a danger once the substitutes had been called onto the field.
He was facing away from the approaching machine when it hit him. Footage shows Townsend going underneath the roller before it stopped short of putting its full weight on him.
“I did not see it coming,” Townsend said. “When I first went out, I saw two rollers on each side of the pitch and thought I had never seen that in my career. Then I was called to warm up and did not think much more about it. The next time I saw one, I was underneath it.”
He said he initially feared the worst, but suffered no serious physical consequences. “There were a few bruises and knocks, but I was fortunate to come through without real damage,” he added.
The French season around it
There is no direct Ligue 1 connection to Townsend’s accident, but the episode is a reminder of how quickly a routine match-day moment can become alarming. For a player with a long injury history, particularly involving his left leg, the sight of the roller passing over him prompted immediate concern from team-mates.
Townsend said they urged him to see the doctor and called for a stretcher. Instead, he chose to continue and was introduced after the break.
“I have experience and I have had plenty of injuries, especially with the left leg that was caught,” he said. “A roller was not going to stop me carrying on.”
The former Premier League winger said he still winces when watching the video. When he sent the clip to his children, they assumed it had been created by artificial intelligence, and he spent around 10 minutes convincing them that it had genuinely happened.
What could have been a grave accident has therefore ended as an extraordinary escape: a frightening half-time scene, a few minor injuries, and a player able to laugh about it days later.
