A. Townsend, former England winger, has recounted a "horrifying" experience when he was struck by a pitch roller while in Thailand recently.

The 35-year-old, who previously played for Tottenham Hotspur, Luton, and Crystal Palace, currently plays for Prachuap FC in the Thai League 1. Last Saturday, while warming up ahead of the match in Phatthalung, a staff member apparently lost control of a large pitch roller.

Townsend's left leg was run over briefly, but fortunately he sustained no injuries. He subsequently came on as a substitute in the closing stages and helped his team secure a 3-0 victory.

Speaking to Piers Morgan's "Football Uncensored," Townsend discussed the incident for the first time, stating that he was extremely lucky to have suffered only "bruises and grazes."

"Every time I watch the video, I can't bear to look at it, and I still can't quite believe it actually happened," he said.

"Looking back at that moment is genuinely terrifying because you realize how badly things could have gone. Fortunately, I fell to the ground at the critical moment when the pitch roller ran over me, so I didn't suffer serious injuries like broken bones."

Townsend, who earned 13 caps for England, said he thought it odd to see two pitch rollers on opposite sides of the pitch before warm-up began.

"I remember thinking, 'I've never seen this before in my career. What are they doing?' But then we were called to warm up, and I didn't think much of it."

"When I saw the pitch roller again, I was already underneath it. Fortunately, I didn't sustain serious injuries—just bruises and grazes—but the fact that I managed to walk away was genuinely very lucky."

Townsend has suffered numerous injuries throughout his playing career, but he stated that this incident "absolutely won't stop me from continuing to play."

"My teammates were shocked that I carried on warming up, and they all told me to see a doctor immediately," he said.

"It was really heavy, but I tried to lift the roller slightly and push it away. When it ran over me completely, I felt like I was being compressed gradually. At first I raised my left arm to reduce the pressure, then my teammates rushed in to help. They lifted the roller together, and I managed to wriggle out. But as it pressed down on my left leg continuously, I have to admit it was genuinely terrifying."

Townsend was particularly concerned about potential damage to his left ankle and knee, as both had undergone previous surgery.

He said: "I thought either my left ankle or my left knee would break. I felt my career might have ended. Fortunately, I eventually managed to hobble away and gradually recovered within a few minutes."

Previously, Townsend had spoken about the incident with some humor on his social media, linking it to an earlier post in which he had compared visiting Thailand's intense heat to visiting Stoke City.

He wrote: "Turns out visiting Stoke wasn't so bad after all."

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