Andros Townsend gave Everton a point on Saturday afternoon to visit Manchester United (1-1). The 30-year-old attacker celebrated his equalizer with an imitation of the way Cristiano Ronaldo usually does. According to Townsend, that was not to ridicule Ronaldo, but out of respect.
Townsend could be in front of the camera of BT no denying that he had imitated Ronaldo. “This man is my idol,” said the right attacker, who was signed by Everton on a free transfer this summer. “I grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo. I spent many hours on the training ground practicing his techniques. Maybe I should have spent a little more time on the celebrationbecause it wasn’t very well executed. It was out of respect for Ronaldo, it’s an honor to be on the same pitch as him.”
Razor-sharp counter??
Everton score the equalizer after a Man United corner?
Goal scorer Townsend can’t help but cheer as the grandmaster himself ??#ZiggoSport #PremierLeague #MUNEVE pic.twitter.com/lG15QNsdwL
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) October 2, 2021
Townsend was able to score the goal thanks to excellent preparation work by Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucouré. “dimi did what he does best: use his strength and speed in the counter. And the moment that shower got the ball I knew given the qualities and vision he has, if I stayed next to him, he would give it to him. Luckily I was able to slide it into the bottom corner.”
Townsend has only scored two Premier League goals in 58 games in the past two seasons, but has already scored three goals after seven games this year. “It’s hard for me to say why I’m not consistent in scoring goals, with the qualities I have with both feet,” he said. “I’m working on it on the training ground with the manager. He got the best out of me at Newcastle and now seems to be doing the same at Everton.”
Everton had to do without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman, Fabian Delph, André Gomes, Alex Iwobi and Richarlison at Old Trafford. “People from outside probably didn’t give us a chance, given our line-up,” said Townsend. “We knew we could get a point or three points. We can be happy with the point, but we watched the disallowed goal in the locker room. It was very close. We take the point and rest. Hopefully we have next a few players back this month.”