Andros Townsend has revealed that he almost ruined his own chances of receiving Cristiano Ronaldo ’s shirt - after he infamously copied his iconic celebration at Old Trafford.
The Everton winger scored in a meeting between his current side and Manchester United and in the process, secured an impressive 1-1 draw for the Toffees. After finding the back of the net, Townsend emulated the Portuguese with his iconic ‘SIU’ celebration in front of the away end.
Having made a mental note to swap shirts with Ronaldo following the game, Townsend revealed that his decision to celebrate almost saw the agreement ruined. Speaking during co-commentary of ITV ’s coverage of Poland’s World Cup victory over Saudi Arabia, he said: “I had the honour of playing against Ronaldo last year at Old Trafford.
“He came on as a sub and honestly I couldn’t focus on the game until I asked him for his shirt. During the game, I waited for a corner. Bizarrely, I was marking him.
“I waited for a corner and asked him ‘can I have your shirt after?’ And after that, I got it out my head and I could focus on the game and thankfully I ended up scoring in that game.
“He said yes and then after I scored and done the SIU, I managed to get it [Ronaldo’s shirt] but he wasn’t as accommodating.”
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Townsend, among the first to have copied Ronaldo’s celebration, certainly won't be the last. During Portugal’s World Cup showdown with Ghana on Thursday, Osman Bukari pulled out the celebration having reduced the deficit.
The TV pictures then switch to Ronaldo on the bench - the 37-year-old being visibly annoyed at the fact that Portugal had conceded and were in for what was an uncomfortable closing minutes at Stadium 974. Townsend gave his verdict on Bukari’s effort, and like with his own, wasn’t overly convinced.
He continued: “Yeah, we butchered it, the both of us [the celebration].”
Speaking after getting Ronaldo’s shirt following Everton’s draw at Old Trafford, Townsend said: “I made it my goal that I was not leaving Old Trafford without Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt. You saw after the final whistle, I ran straight to him, I don’t know what he was muttering but it wasn’t English.
“He was muttering in Portuguese and I asked him three or four times for his shirt and eventually he gave in and said he would give it to me inside. I had to wait inside the dressing room and thankfully the kit man was able to sort it for me. That shirt I am going to keep with me.”
