Andros Townsend can call himself an Everton player for the next two seasons. The thirty-year-old wing striker is the Toffees presented as the first summer reinforcement. Townsend will once again team up with manager Rafael Benítez, whom he knows from their time together at Newcastle United.
Townsend left Crystal Palace on a free transfer this summer, where he played the last five seasons. He was a valued force at the London club, producing 16 goals and 28 assists in 185 official games. “Everyone knows that Everton is a huge club,” the thirteen-time England international explains his switch on the club’s website. “The club wants to go back to where it belongs in Europe. I want to help them with that, to get that done. It’s a bit of a cliché, but for me this step was a no brainer.”
The presence of Benítez at Everton also played a role for Townsend. The two worked together at Newcastle United for half a season in the spring of 2016. “Rafa is very experienced. On the training field he does a lot of tactical work, he leaves no stone unturned. But more importantly, he’s a great man, a great manager, and he’s always talking to you. I’m sure he will be very successful here.”
Townsend is asked what Everton supporters can expect from him. “My strong points are that I can pass with left and right, can get balls into the penalty area. And I take my goal here and there,” said the attacker, who played his last international match at the end of 2016. “I also work hard when we don’t have the ball, I have become better at that under Rafa. It is now my job to prove that I am good enough to be an important part of this football club and that is why I will work hard in training and in matches.”
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