Walker backs Townsend to make lasting impression on big stage

AFTER nine loan moves in a career that has only truly taken off since the start of 2013, Andros Townsend had every right to feel like he was on cloud nine over the weekend.

A hugely impressive debut display on the right flank as England claimed three points in Friday’s crucial qualifier against Montenegro undoubtedly announced the 24-year-old on the international stage.

It also made a persuasive case for Townsend’s inclusion in the starting line-up tomorrow night when victory over Poland at Wembley will be enough to book the Three Lions’ place at next year’s World Cup finals.

If Roy Hodgson, who in naming Townsend in Friday’s 4-1 victory over Montenegro became the first England manager to hand a player their debut in a qualifier for 14 years, does plump for Townsend again then he will have to be sure that the Spurs man will not be fazed by a weekend in the spotlight.

One man who is certain that the attention will not have got to the latest toast of English football is Kyle Walker, the former Sheffield United full-back who is a team-mate of Townsend at White Hart Lane.

“He doesn’t get nervous or anything like that,” said Walker, who will have to sit out tomorrow’s meeting with Poland after collecting a second yellow card of the qualifying campaign in the win over Montenegro.

“Andros is just really confident, as you saw with his play (on Friday night). I am made up for him. When I found out he was starting, I think I was more excited than him.

“I play with him at club level and we are building up an understanding. He just sleeps, eats and breathes football and I pray to god that this is just a stepping block for him to go on and do big things.”

Townsend laid down an early marker on his debut with his enterprising play in the early moments of Friday’s 4-1 victory over Montenegro.

However, it was his powerful run and cross which led to Wayne Rooney opening the scoring that really saw the one-time Leeds United loanee take centre stage.

Netting England’s third goal of the night with an unstoppable shot that curled agonisingly away from the left hand of goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic then made it a certainty that Townsend would be named man-of-the-match.

It continued an amazing year for the winger, who until a January switch to QPR had seemed unlikely to make the step-up to the Premier League despite showing initial promise when on loan at various clubs.

Among the rosta of clubs where Townsend has spent time is Leeds but he left under something of a cloud in February, 2012, then manager Neil Warnock bidding “good riddance” to a player who he suspected was trying to instead engineer a loan switch to Birmingham City.

Since then, however, Townsend’s career has really taken off with the loan spell at Loftus Road last season paving the way for him becoming a first team regular at Spurs this term.

Walker said: “As a full-back, you don’t want a right midfielder who is left-footed running at you. It is a dreadful thing.

“He can go both sides, he is quite confident to go with either foot – as you saw with his goal. I just hope it’s a stepping block for him to go on and showcase his talent.

“That’s just because I know what he can do; I play at club level with him, I train with him and he’s a nightmare. We have had some good wingers at Tottenham – Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, we just seem to breed wingers.”

On Townsend having spent time at nine different clubs before establishing himself at Tottenham, Walker added: “When you go to big clubs, like I came from Sheffield United to Tottenham. you have to learn your trade.

“He went out to QPR and did well there. He then came back to Tottenham and had to bide his time. Aaron (Lennon) got injured and he has gone and took it. Fair play to him.

“Training is something I enjoy. It is a good duel when me and Andros train. You can ask him yourself but I try to get up in his face. I fully enjoy it.

“It is great going into training every day. I don’t want to go to training and train against people that I am just going to run over. It is not going to make me a better player and it is not going to make them a better player.”

As for Townsend marking his debut with a goal, the Tottenham full-back said: “I told him at half-time he was going to score. I just sensed something.

“He was on fire and getting at people. I just didn’t think it was going to be such a goal, and with his right foot as well.”

If Townsend does get the nod on the right flank tomorrow night, he will have to form an understanding with another full-back due to Walker being suspended.

The former Blades defender was shown a yellow card for a needless tug on Stevan Jovetic, meaning either Chris Smalling or Phil Jones is likely to be asked to deputise at full-back. Raheem Sterling, a winger, was called up by Hodgson over the weekend to bolster the squad.

On Friday’s yellow card, Walker, only in the starting line-up due to Glenn Johnson being out injured, said: “It is disappointing, and a stupid foul. It is a learning curve for me, just getting in the team and getting games with Jonno injured.

“But I just have to pick myself back up and, hopefully, I get my chance again. Whoever comes in is going to do fantastically well and, hopefully, we will just get the win that we need against Poland and that’s it.”