Andros Townsend – the whippet

Will he be like the ghost of decades past (I am not talking Marley’s ghost here), whipping through defences and midfield, like our past great John White, or Cliff Jones running down the wing to score or contribute to one of his team mates goals? Or even Mr Bale, who had a couple of magnificent seasons before being whipped away to play second fiddle at Real Madrid. So another genius in the making?

OK, ok, let’s not get carried away. The whippet was only on loan to QPR last season. Give the poor sod a chance to develop before giving him god like status. One swallow doesn’t make a summer. But yes he has had an impressive two day excursion to Wembley and did his testimonials no harm. One goal and a man of the match award in his first match at Wembley and another good solid performance in his second match kept fans smiling and everybody shouting his name.

We mustn’t also forget that our club had the brain-confusion, not that along ago, of thoughts of selling him to Millwall for £500,000. Luckily for us the brain-confusion corrected itself and common sense stepped in. Nonetheless, since 2009 he has had more clubs than Arnold Palmer (ok, nearly!); 10 in all (including Spurs). The names trips of a seasoned trooper’s football fanatics tongues; Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient, Milton Keynes Dons, Ipswich Town, Watford, Millwall, Leeds Utd, Birmingham City and ‘Arry’s QPR (who also wanted to buy him!). From there he was propelled into the laps of the Gods; first to Spurs full squad and then came the England call up. And even though his rise is welcomed by most, if not all Spurs fans, he is just out of his cradle (AVB had reservations about his call him). He has scored no goals for Spurs (yet), nevertheless he has scored for all the other clubs he has played for, including all the stages of his England rise (from U 16 to full). So it won’t be long before he is scoring for Spurs on regular bases. Contributing to Spurs all-stars.

He’s just had his contract extended, along with a substantial pay-rise; from £6,000 to £16,000 per week. This young man has the potential to go places.

We must also remember that Townsend joined our Academy at the age of 8. Which tells you that our Academy is producing the players we want to represent our glorious name.

I’ve watched him progress since his first debut at Spurs and he has been impressive. Granted a few slight hiccups on the way, but then who hasn’t? After the games for England I expect Andros to improve in leaps and bounds. Where we worshipped Bale, the new name to trip of our blue and white tongues will be the word whippet!!! (Wishful thinking or an educated glimpse into the future?)

After the highs of England his next showcase will be against Aston Villa, which can be a tricky opponent (after all they beat the Arse in their first game of the season)… more so when they are playing at Villa Park. We’ve beat them on their home turf in a cup match this season, but they had a depleted team. This time around the whippet will have a harder task, plus an ever growing audience, to impress; without mentioning his managers’ (at Spurs and England). A goal with a whippet quality for Spurs this weekend won’t do his England credentials any harm and much more for the lachrymose cockerel crowd.

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