Ex-Luton Town star Andros Townsend reacts to 'weird' eating habit claims | OneFootball

Andros Townsend has hit headlines with his diet plan, but it wasn't the food he was expecting to be judged on

Andros Townsend is currently contributing to ITV's World Cup coverage in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, but unlike most of his peers, he's doing so while still playing professionally.

The wideman turns 35 in July and is currently plying his trade in Thailand's top flight, appearing in all 30 league games for Kanchanaburi last season and captaining the side.

Townsend last played in England with Luton Town in their sole Premier League campaign back in the 2023/24 term, but has close to 300 English top-flight appearances for the likes of Crystal Palace, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur, alongside the Hatters.

Maintaining a healthy diet for when he returns to the playing side of his career can be extremely difficult, especially when travelling from city to city across three different countries, but the 34-year-old has made an effort to ensure that he's prepared his meals to remain on top of things in North America.

Some meals have been the subject of some confused criticism from fans, such as the raw beef and avocado he filmed himself eating on his TikTok, but he's also been reproached for some other, rather normal, eating habits, too.

Andros Townsend reacts to food habits that have left fans "baffled."

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The raw beef dish inside a stadium isn't the only meal he's posted himself eating, as he also took to TikTok to outline his meal preparation for the three days he was staying in Mexico, which included cooked steak, sardines, bone broth and hard-boiled eggs.

Interestingly enough, it was the latter, rather than the raw food, which piqued the attention of the Sun, who stated that the video left fans "baffled." Townsend has taken to his own Instagram to respond.

"ITV commentator baffles fans with bizarre eating habits...it was only a matter of time. I guess they were talking about the raw milk, raw steak or something else that's really extreme. Let's take a look," he said.

"Nope, cooked steak, sardines and boiled eggs. Apparently, that's now a bizarre eating habit.

"How have we got to the point where eating steak, fish and eggs is considered bizarre, but nobody would have batted an eyelid if I came out here for a month and lived on fast food, takeaway and ultra-processed snacks?

"I'm not telling anyone what they should eat. I just find it really funny that real food has become the controversial option. Steak, fish and eggs. That's the bizarre diet, making the headlines."

While quite controversial, eating raw beef and drinking raw milk does have some nutritional benefits. Someone looking to preserve their body to play professionally in their mid-to-late thirties could definitely benefit from it, if eaten safely.

However, the meal outlined as "controversial" here is no different to what a healthy person would eat day to day in their regular lives to maintain their fitness. Ultimately, it's rather strange that this is what Townsend has been called out for.

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Understandably, a lot of people in the replies to Townsend's response to his "bizarre" eating habits are in support of the 34-year-old and appreciate the lengths he is going to remain healthy in an environment where it would be so easy to rely on Uber Eats every day.

Former West Brom manager and Townsend's former Tottenham teammate, Ryan Mason, commented with a simple "🎯" outlining how spot on he is with the assessment, and current Forest Green Rovers defender, who was at Crystal Palace at the same time as the wideman, Ryan Innis, said, "Eating healthy is baffling… make it make sense! Keep them coming 🎥 🔥."

Multiple fitness experts had the 34-year-old's backing, too. "Crazy world 😂🤦🏽‍♂️," said Tom Beckles. Sam Slack added, "Haters gonna hate."

Ultimately, Townsend is right to call out the sensationalistic reports and continue to outline why it is so important to maintain a healthy diet on the road.

From the number of interactions he receives online on Instagram and TikTok, it seems that several people are invested in how the 34-year-old's trip across North America for the World Cup is playing out, from both a professional and a personal point of view.