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July 21, 2016 |
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VANCOUVER, B.C - Crystal Palace's big money transfer this off-season has been the addition of Andros Townsend from a related Newcastle side for a £13 million transfer fee. Townsend will be expected to carry part of the offensive for the Eagles when the English Premier League kicks off on Saturday August 13.
Crystal Palace will open up with a home fixture vs West Bromwich Albion and Townsend will likely be one of the valuable players for Alan Pardew's side in the first month of the season. Euro 2016 participants, Joe Ledley, Jonny Williams, and Yohan Cabaye could be rested after deserved holidays.
Following Crystal Palace's final match on a summer tour of North America, Assistant Coach Keith Milllen spoke highly of Townsend and how he is fitting in and adjusting to life with Crystal Palace.
"We've been delighted with him," said Millen. "He's fitting in with the group really well. Great lad to work with, works really hard, really professional in his training, and you can see the end product he's got. That's the reason we've brought him to the club. He gets on the ball, he delivers crosses, he shoots, scores goals. He's definitely improved our standard and our quality in the final third. We're delighted with him so far."
The 25 year-old Townsend was by far the best player on the pitch at BC Place on Tuesday night as Crystal Palace and Vancouver Whitecaps FC played to an exciting 2-2 draw. Townsend had a pair of assists and was buzzing all over the pitch in his 83' minutes of action. Being a part of preseason with Crystal Palace and trying a 3-5-2 formation against Vancouver is something of a pleasant change.
"Yeah, no it's been good," revealed Townsend. "It's always good when you sign early, you get the whole of preseason in with the team. You get to go away and get to know each other, how your teammates play. It's been good, three good games. Tonight we played a new formation, we might need it during the season and we handled it quite well. So we're all delighted."
Townsend grew-up in the Tottenham Hotspur academy and has pretty much spent his entire career with Spurs. A January move to Newcastle didn't quite work out, but a new opportunity with Crystal Palace could be exactly the perfect fit. Townsend is already feeling like he is at home with Palace.
"I think I've played for about 12 clubs in my career. This is the first time I've had a preseason away from Spurs so, no, it’s a new experience for me. The lads have been great with me, they've been very welcoming, and I feel like I've been here for years. I'm looking forward to getting back to England and getting the season started."
When he is back in England, Townsend won't have to wait long for a return to White Hart Lane, Palace will travel to North London to take on Tottenham on August 20. You can bet a few quid that Townsend will have that match circled as he looks to show the Spurs what they are missing.
The England international has been over to North America on a summer tours previous to this year and he can see the rise in talent and the growth of MLS. The likelihood that a talented lad of Townsend's calibre would one day come over to MLS in his prime is a bit far-fetched. Especially for a £13 million transfer fee. Nevertheless Townsend, appreciates all the fan support and the friendly competition.
“I've come out here a few times," said Townsend. "Every time I come out here the level of the football just gets better and better. I think we’ve seen today how well the team, they gave us a run for our money and ended up getting a draw. The last game was only a 2-0 win, and the first game was a draw as well, so no the level was definitely improving. I'm sure when we come back next year, or the year after that, that they’ll go up another level again.”
Andros Townsend will be a top name to watch this season for Crystal Palace. He certainly has the skills to thrive in the Premier League. If he can earn consistent playing time under Alan Pardew, Townsend could be an underrated off-season transfer and a fan favourite for Eagles fans far and wide.
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