Former England international Andros Townsend experienced a frightening moment during pre-match preparations in Thailand when he was struck by a pitch roller, though he escaped injury and later joked about the incident on social media.
The 35-year-old winger, who previously played for Tottenham, Luton and Crystal Palace, joined PT Prachuap in Thai League 1 after relocating to Thailand in 2025. On Saturday, while warming up ahead of a fixture at Pattani, a staff member appeared to lose control of the heavy groundskeeping equipment.
Townsend's left leg became briefly trapped beneath the vehicle during the accident. Despite the alarming nature of the incident, medical assessment confirmed he had sustained no injuries. He subsequently entered the match from the bench in the closing stages as PT Prachuap secured a 3-0 victory.
The former international, who earned 13 caps representing England during his career, responded to the mishap with characteristic humour. On Instagram, Townsend posted about the experience, drawing a comparison to his recent observations about Thai football venues. In an earlier post, he had contrasted the pleasant conditions of away matches in Thailand with the considerably less appealing atmosphere of visiting Stoke's Bet365 Stadium.
Referencing that earlier commentary, Townsend wrote on social media:
It turns out Stoke away wasn't so bad after all. Swipe to see why.The post included imagery documenting the pitch roller incident, allowing followers to understand the context of his sardonic observation about his career trajectory and current playing environment.
