I’m out to be a £12m bargain!
ANDROS VOWS TO LIFT TOON OUT OF DANGER
ANDROS TOWN-SEND says he will prove a ‘bargain’ at £12million by helping Newcastle escape relegation and winning himself a place at euro 2016.
The 24-year-old (below) was frozen out of the first-team picture under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham and has not played a full Premier League game for two years.
Townsend insists his old boss was wrong to cast him aside and has hit back at those who believe Newcastle have paid over the odds for a player who has made just 22 top-flight starts in his career.
‘Of course £12m is a lot of money. But if I can reach my potential and play to the ability I know I have, then I am sure as quickly as people are saying it is a lot of money, they will be saying it is a bargain,’ said the winger, whose arrival at third-from-bottom Newcastle takes the club’s spending to £80m under Steve McClaren.
‘I am the same player that broke on the scene a few years ago and was tipped as a big england prospect. I was an integral part for club and country. But I have a point to prove now. I have not played consistently in a long time.
‘The last time I played nine or 10 Premier League games in a row, I was playing for Spurs, playing for england and kind of setting the world alight, so I can’t wait to get a run of games and hopefully get back to that level I was at a few years ago.’
Townsend scored on his england debut and helped Roy Hodgson’s side qualify for the 2014 world Cup, a tournament he missed through injury. But Pochettino’s arrival at white Hart Lane saw opportunities limited and his last Premier League appearance was in October.
‘He (Pochettino) has had no problem with me on a personal level,’ said Townsend. ‘He made his decision professionally, which obviously I do not agree with, but Tottenham are flying high, so I can’t really argue with him.’ At international level, however, Hodgson has regularly included Townsend, who hopes to add to his 10 caps before this summer’s euros in France.
‘Roy Hodgson has always had faith in my ability and every time he has put me on the pitch I have repaid that faith,’ he said.
‘For now, I need to focus solely on getting back to playing Premier League football and helping Newcastle out of the relegation zone. If I can do that and score a few goals along the way, hopefully the england stuff will come off the back of that.’
Townsend has set himself the lofty target of emulating former Newcastle and Spurs wideman David Ginola.
‘I have always said he was my favourite player to watch growing up — so no pressure there!’ said Townsend. ‘But I have confidence in my ability and will hopefully go out and excite the crowd.’
MIDDLES BROUGH target Ross McCormack has handed in a transfer request at Fulham.
The 29-year-old has made it clear he wishes to leave the club despite the fact they offered him a revised contract that would eventually include a coaching role. Fulham told media the transfer request had been rejected yesterday before the player was informed.
Middlesbrough have held a meeting to discuss their proposed striker targets with Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes an alternative option should Fulham turn down their bids for McCormack. Boro are prepared to offer £12m plus Kike on loan, representing a profit on the £10.75m Fulham paid to Leeds for McCormack in 2014. The decision now lies with owner Shahid Khan.