Last summer, Andros Townsend experienced one of the hardest blows of his career. The out-of-contract forward was on the verge of signing with Burnley, but the deal fell through at the last moment. This led to tears from Townsend.
The now 32-year-old Townsend has nearly a hundred matches for Tottenham Hotspur under his belt and 185 games for Crystal Palace. In addition, he played for a range of other English clubs, but after his departure from Everton last summer, he's without a club. He seemed on track to join Burnley, but that turned into a major disappointment.
'It was probably one of the hardest conversations I've had in my career,' Townsend told Radio 5. 'I've been rejected by so many clubs.' Townsend made a strong impression on Burnley's coach Vincent Kompany during the preseason, who initially planned to keep him. However, due to the rapid development of some young players, Burnley ultimately decided against it.
"If I had played poorly, I could have braced myself for that. But we were already looking at houses, schools for the kids, we even talked about jersey numbers. And then to be told you're not being offered a contract, it really turns your world upside down. I then burst into tears."
Alternatives
In the weeks that followed, Townsend saw several negotiations fall through. He talked to clubs in Turkey and there was interest from Saudi Arabia. In the end, no deal materialized. "People gave me false hope. I thought clubs would be desperate to sign a player with my experience, but no club is willing to take the risk after my ACL injury." In March 2022, Townsend suffered a severe knee injury. He hasn't played an official match since then. "I'm now waiting for the phone to ring."
