Bangkok: Former England international Andros Townsend escaped serious injury after being run over by a pitch roller during the warm-up for a Thai league match, in a bizarre incident captured on camera.
Townsend, who currently plays for Thai League 1 club PT Prachuap, was involved in the incident before his team’s match against Pattani on Saturday night.
A video circulating on social media showed the 35-year-old winger being struck by the pitch-maintenance vehicle during the warm-up. Townsend later appeared to see the lighter side of the incident, reposting the video on Instagram with the caption, “Make it look like an accident”, accompanied by a laughing emoji.
Townsend lands in path of pitch roller
The incident occurred as Townsend attempted an aerial backheel during the warm-up.
He landed in the path of the pitch roller at almost the same moment that the driver appeared to look away. The vehicle then continued forward, running over Townsend’s legs and hip.
Screams could be heard in the video as players nearby reacted in shock. Several players were seen turning away and putting their hands on their heads after witnessing the incident.
Despite the alarming nature of the footage, Townsend avoided serious injury.
Townsend comes on in stoppage time
Townsend was well enough to make an appearance later in the match.
He came on as a stoppage-time substitute as PT Prachuap completed a 3-0 victory over Pattani.
The appearance provided an unusual ending to an incident that initially appeared far more serious, with Townsend able to return to the pitch on the same night.
The former England winger subsequently joked about the incident on his social media stories.
Townsend’s career in Thailand
Townsend, who made 13 appearances for England, joined PT Prachuap in August.
The winger moved to the club from Kanchanaburi Power, which had been relegated from the Thai top flight.
Before moving to Thailand, Townsend spent much of his professional career in English football, including spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
He also represented England at international level, making 13 appearances for the national team.
The unusual warm-up accident has since attracted widespread attention online, particularly because it was captured on video and because Townsend was able to return to action later in the same match.