Andros Townsend left Newcastle after they were relegated from the Premier League in 2016, joining Crystal Palace.
Andros Townsend had the last laugh as Crystal Palace sealed a 1-0 win at his former club Newcastle United on Saturday, batting away the ‘pantomime’ jeers from the home support in quotes reported by the Chronicle.
The England international had a short spell at St James’ Park in 2016, joining Newcastle from Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window.
And Townsend made an impression on Tyneside, scoring four Premier League goals including a stunning free-kick against his current employers.
But, once Newcastle succumbed to relegation, the winger was one of the first to jump ship as he joined Crystal Palace for a £13 million fee (the Telegraph).
The typically passionate Magpies support have never really forgiven Townsend for walking away and he was predictably booed as he returned to St James’ on Saturday.
But, speaking after an impressive 1-0 win sealed by yet another Luka Milivojevic penalty, Townsend has made it clear that the jeers had little impact on his performance.
“It was pantomime stuff, I didn’t mind that,” the 13-cap Englishman said. “They know I did a good job when I was here so really it doesn’t matter. I’ll always be grateful to them for the support they gave me.
“Anyway, that shows I must have done a good job when I was here. It’s a fantastic club with fantastic supporters. [They have] great players, a great pitch, a great stadium, and it’s always nice to come back.”
For all their boos, Newcastle would surely welcome Townsend back with open arms given that they have lost their last two Premier League games without troubling the scoreboard.
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