Andros Townsend says he leaves Tottenham Hotspur for Newcastle United with a heavy heart, admitting he always envisioned finishing his career at White Hart Lane. Townsend, 24, signed a five-and-half year deal with the Newcastle on Wednesday 27 January after he was frozen out of the Spurs first team by Mauricio Pochettino.

The England international has not featured in the Premier League since October and spent the final months in north London regularly playing for the Under-21s. While he is relishing the new challenge in the north-east, Townsend admits his original plan was to never leave his boyhood club.

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"Growing up a Spurs fans and being at the club since the age of eight, I obviously planned to spend most of my career at Spurs," Townsend said, the Northern Echo reports.

"So of course it was disappointing. I would have liked a better exit. But now I just have to move forward and try to build a career here."

After 16 years as a Spurs player, Townsend has welcomed the opportunity to play under a coach who believes in him in Steve McClaren. In a thinly-veiled dig at his former boss, the winger spoke of his delight of finally having the chance to have his abilities appreciated once again.

"It is important for me to have a manager that believes in my abilities, knows the way I play inside out, and knows what I can bring to the team," said Townsend. "I've had a few great chats with Steve and I think he knows what I can do, and I know what he wants from me as well.

"Hopefully, it will all come together nicely on the pitch. He's told me how much the fans love a winger. He says get the ball and be direct. He has given me bullet points of my strengths and weaknesses, what he wants from a winger in and out of possession. Everything is pretty clear. I know exactly what the manager wants from me and he knows what he will get from me."

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