Former England international Andros Townsend escaped serious injury after being struck and briefly run over by a pitch roller during a warm-up session before his Thai League 1 side PT Prachuap faced Pattani FC.
The bizarre incident occurred on Saturday as the 35-year-old winger prepared for the match in Pattani, Thailand. Townsend was warming up with his teammates when a member of the stadium ground staff appeared to lose control of a motorised pitch roller.
According to reports, Townsend had moved outside the designated practice area while attempting to play a ball when the slow-moving vehicle approached him. He apparently did not see the roller coming before it knocked him to the ground and passed over his legs, reaching almost to his waist.
The frightening moment was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media, showing Townsend underneath the heavy machine as nearby players reacted with alarm.
The driver stopped the roller and attempted to free the player. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Townsend was able to get back on his feet and continue with his preparations.
Remarkably, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace winger later came off the bench during the match as PT Prachuap secured a 3-0 victory over Pattani.
Townsend’s ability to feature after the accident further surprised those who had watched footage of the incident. Reuters reported that he resumed warming up before eventually making a late substitute appearance.
The incident could have resulted in serious injuries given the size and weight of the machinery, but Townsend emerged without serious harm.
Rather than dwell on the frightening experience, the former England winger used social media to make light of what had happened.
Referencing an earlier post in which he had compared a sunny Thai away trip with difficult visits to Stoke City, Townsend wrote on Instagram: “It turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all,” alongside footage of the incident.
He also responded humorously to another social media post describing him as the “King of Memes in Thai League history”, replying with a brief joke and laughing emojis.
Townsend has earned 13 caps for England and came through Tottenham’s academy before establishing himself in the Premier League. He later played for Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Everton, among other clubs.
After leaving English football, he continued his career abroad before moving to Thailand. He joined Kanchanaburi Power in 2025 and moved to PT Prachuap in August 2026 following Kanchanaburi’s relegation from the Thai top flight.
The winger’s latest appearance has therefore attracted attention not because of his performance on the pitch, but because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his involvement.
What began as a routine warm-up nearly ended in a serious accident. Instead, Townsend managed to walk away from the incident, joke about it afterwards and, remarkably, still play a part in his team’s victory.
The incident has also prompted widespread discussion online, with video footage drawing attention to the risks that can arise when heavy pitch-maintenance equipment operates close to players during warm-ups.
