Former England international gets run over by pitch roller in bizarre Thai league incident
Luton Town's Andros Townsend at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Luton Town, in Liverpool, England, Feb. 21, 2024. Credit: AP/Jon Super
PATTANI, Thailand — Former England international Andros Townsend escaped serious injury after being run over by a pitch roller in a bizarre incident at a Thai league match.
Townsend currently plays in Thai League 1 for PT Prachuap and made headlines on Saturday night when a clip emerged on social media that showed the 35-year-old being taken out by the vehicle during a warmup for the game against Pattani.
The former Tottenham and Crystal Palace winger saw the funny side, reposting the video on his Instagram account with the words “Make it look like an accident” and a laughing emoji. He also joked about the incident on his stories.
Screams were heard on the video and other players could be seen turning away and putting their hands on their head in shock.
The incident happened as Townsend attempted an aerial backheel and landed in the path of the vehicle, just as the driver appeared to look away. Townsend was run over by the roller, which continued to move over his legs and hip.
Townsend avoided serious injury and even managed to come on as a stoppage-time substitute in his team’s 3-0 win.
Townsend, who made 13 appearances for England, joined Prachuap in August from another Thai club, Kanchanaburi Power, which had just been relegated.
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