10 Great Premier League one-season wonders of the decade (2010-2019)

#5 Andros Townsend

Andros Townsend has never bettered his displays in late 2013 for Tottenham and England

It seems almost unfair to label Andros Townsend a one-season wonder, as he’s still a solid Premier League player capable of the odd flash of brilliance; his volley for Crystal Palace against Manchester City in 2018-19 for instance earned him a nomination for the famous FIFA Puskas Award.

However, the winger’s form in 2013/14 was so good – and so beyond anything he’s produced since – that he deserves a spot on this list. A Tottenham Hotspur player at the time, Townsend produced some phenomenal performances – albeit not with a great amount of goals or assists – and found himself as a key man for both Andre Villas-Boas, and for Tim Sherwood once the Portuguese boss was fired.

Townsend’s form for Spurs rocketed him into the England squad in late 2013 and he repaid boss Roy Hodgson’s faith with more incredible performances, most notably in key World Cup 2014 qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland. He was so good in those games that many expected him to play a key part in England’s tournament the following summer.

A knee injury in April 2014 curtailed those hopes though, and when he returned he just couldn’t recapture the magic, despite the odd flash of brilliance. Townsend eventually fell out of favour at Tottenham and lost his England place too, and late 2013 now seems like a long time ago for the Palace winger.