Roy Hodgson’s bold call to bring Andros Townsend into the frame for England’s crucial World Cup 2014 qualifiers proved an impressive choice. Now the dust has settled on England’s eligibility for next summer’s international tournament in Brazil, Spurs fans have seen a huge advance on Townsend and his growth over the past twelve months. With his inspiring displays either side of the weekend, Townsend will be expected to continue to replicate his England form and become the next future star in Tottenham white and blue.
The 22-year-old, of Cypriot and Jamaican descent, joined Tottenham’s academy side at the age of eight but has had to wait an exhausting sixteen years to feature regularly for the first team. Before his break at Spurs, Townsend endured season-after-season loans from 2009 at Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient, Milton Keynes Dons, Ipswich Town, Watford, Millwall, Leeds United, Birmingham City and before starring for Queens Park Rangers under former Lilywhites coach Harry Redknapp last season.
Andre Villas-Boas has finally inputted the youngster into a similar role to the departed Gareth Bale, cutting in from the right to mix in with proceedings in-field, with the occasional rasping shot, as seen in both games for his country against Montenegro and Poland.
With only seven games played in the Barclays Premier League this term, Townsend has already recorded more shots than any other player in the league and been at the heart of literally every Spurs attack. His shots on-target ratio stands at 67% whilst his passing accuracy equals a remarkable 86% from 262 passes since his emergence into the Tottenham first team this term. Against England’s opposition on Tuesday and last Friday, the winger displayed his intent to add fluidity with pace, demonstrating his determination to sprint past defenders to chase the ball down and swing in a blinding assist for his fellow attackers to pounce onto. From analysis, his passing range and shooting ability mark him as a player who likes to seize responsibility.
Tottenham’s Kyle Walker has sung jubilant praise for his team-mate on Sky Sports, suggesting his Spurs co-worker could become a huge hit for England and hopes the winger makes Hodgson’s 23-man plane trip to Brazil:
"Yes, I think (he could make the squad). I hope (so). I hope this is just a stepping stone for him to showcase his talent and go on to do big things”.
"Don't forget he has had to bide his time to get a place, he hasn't just walked into the team, but I just hope for him that he carries on putting on performances like that and we get to where we want to be in the summer."
"He is a nightmare. He eats, sleeps and breathes football".
"He is really confident and you could see that against Montenegro. He just wants to get at players. As a defender you don't want a right winger who is left-footed running at you, it's dreadful, and he is confident to go either side".
With Tottenham still adapting to their £100-plus summer expenses, Townsend could prove to be the catalyst to get his side’s season back on track following their dreadful 3-0 defeat to West Ham United last time out. His variety of shooting has already been compared as a Bale-esqe style, whilst his pace and energy has caught many of his opposition the league napping at the expense of his smart and concise technique.
His confidence strings together with his wonderful attitude, whilst debates from John Barnes suggest we cannot anticipate too much from the winger as fans may get carried away with his ability. Although, the ex-Liverpool midfielder has advised Andros knows how good he is, suggesting AVB needs to exploit the wingers capacity to excite and open up the field of play.
Every team needs a star performer and Townsend will need to be at the top of his game to vye off any competition from Aaron Lennon and Erik Lamela in the Tottenham fold to secure his ticket to South America next summer. Townsend acknowledges this and has expressed his desire to reap the rewards to guarantee his spot as a regular at White Hart Lane and at internation level. With every dazzling display the spotlight will swiftly shimmer away from his Tottenham competitors as optimism will grow and expectation will rise.
