England play Australia at the Stadium of Light tomorrow and the England team are staying at the Gateshead Hilton, which is just across the River Tyne from the Newcastle quayside – so Andros Townsend is back in the north-east again.
And there is some good news for Newcastle fans today as England manager Roy Hodgson has told Andros Townsend that playing for Newcastle in the Championship will not affect his England chances next season.
Rafa Benitez hugs Andros Townsend after Newcastle hammered Spurs 5-1
This is what Roy has said about the 24 year-old talented Newcastle winger playing in England’s second division:
“It doesn’t impact on his International career in any particular way,”
“The main thing after such a serious injury and the fact that when he recovered he wasn’t getting a regular game for his club, Tottenham Hotspur was for Andros to play for a manager who believed in him.”
“He’s been given that chance first by Steve McClaren and then Rafa Benitez and it’s given us with that slightly enlarged squad to take a look at him.”
“I picked him when he wasn’t playing for any senior team at all – he was just sitting on the bench or in the reserves at Tottenham Hotspur and I’ve done that for a few players.”
“But for him to be in the England team he needs to be the Andros Townsend we’ve seen in the past.”
“We would need an awful lot more English talent in the Premier League before we got to the stage of leaving players out because they were playing in another division.”
Andros Townsend has been a revelation since he came to Newcastle in January and especially since Rafa Benitez arrived to manage the side in March – he has been tremendous.
Townsend had four goals and two assists for Newcastle and finished second top of our Man of the Match poll with 33% of the vote, behind only goalkeeper Rob Elliot on 41% – so the fans certainly thought he was great once he arrived from Tottenham.
Hopefully, this will convince Andros to stay on Tyneside for next season and help us come straight back up to the Premier League.
Joining Newcastle was the main reason he is now in the England squad of 26 and has a very good chance of making the final squad of 23 for the Euro 2016 Championships next month in France.
Comments welcome.
6 comments so far
Graeme
May 26, 2016 at 10:45 PM
Comment #1In Rafa we trust – bring it on lol
WWSBRD
May 26, 2016 at 10:45 PM
Comment #2Not sure why he would leave if this is true
Lad is paid well, guaranteed starter and will be/is loved by fans, if staying won’t affect his England chances (no reason it should either nothing going on next summer internationally) and he will be coached by one of the best managers why leave Andros? Stay become one of ours and Uve got a home for life son
BeeGuy
May 26, 2016 at 10:52 PM
Comment #3You can be sure other clubs will be sending out feelers for sale or loan. Wouldn’t be surprised if he started the year for NUFC and went out on loan in the Perm during second window.
WWSBRD
May 26, 2016 at 10:54 PM
Comment #4BeeGuy
But why? What would he get out of it?
jimmysmith
May 26, 2016 at 11:01 PM
Comment #5Any of our most valuable players – Sissoko, Janmaat, Mbemba, Wijnaldum, Krul and Townsend would have a dilemma if asked by Benitez to stay. We are a club with very different prospects now, and I think Rafa could quite easily convince them to stay on, if they are part of his long term plans.
G
May 27, 2016 at 7:23 AM
Comment #6It’s almost as if Woy believes he will still be England manager after the Euro’s? Madness.