Andros Townsend Runs Over by Pitch Roller and Continues Playing

Andros Townsend has lived through serious injuries, hostile atmospheres and brutal English winters. But nothing in a long Premier League career prepared him for being run over by a pitch roller in Thailand – and then finishing his warm-up.

The 35-year-old, now with PT Prachuap in Thai League 1, escaped with only bumps and bruises before an away game in Pattani after a split-second decision that may have saved his leg.

A member of staff lost control of a heavy roller on the touchline. It veered towards Townsend and caught the lower left side of his body. For a moment, the winger disappeared underneath it.

He relived the incident on the programme "Football Uncensored" and the images still shake 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."

The only thing between a freak accident and a career-ending injury was his 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 the warm-up began.

"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 game, that split second felt like a nightmare returning. The 13-cap England international, who has represented Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Luton Town in the Premier League, has endured repeated setbacks. His left knee and left ankle have both been operated on.

So when the roller pinned his leg, one thought dominated.

"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.

Lifting a roller off his own body

Even while trapped, Townsend fought to ease the pressure.

"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."

He then called for help from those closest to him – his team-mates.

"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."

Staff and players urged him to stop. He didn’t.

"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 later in PT Prachuap’s 3-0 win, even getting involved late on. The club does not expect the incident to affect his move to Southeast Asia or the remainder of his career. As far as Townsend is concerned, the accident will "definitely not stop him from carrying on".

From Stoke jokes to Thai reality

Soon after the scare, Townsend did what modern footballers do: he went to Instagram. Earlier in the season he had joked about Thai away pitches, comparing them to the famously unforgiving conditions at Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium.

After nearly being crushed by a roller in Pattani, that old line suddenly felt very different. He posted again, this time with a new punchline.

"Away at Stoke wasn't that bad after all."

For a player rebuilt more than once by surgeons’ hands, surviving a runaway roller in Thailand and walking away with only bruises feels like another escape. The next challenge is simpler: stay fit, stay on the pitch, and let the drama come from the football, not the machinery.