Newcastle target Andros Townsend may have played his last game for Spurs - Pochettino

MAURICIO POCHETTINO admits Andros Townsend has all but played his last game for Tottenham.

 

Andros Townsend looks set for the exit door at Tottenham

 

Townsend, 24, has been frozen out under Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

His last appearance was back last October in the Europa League and he has been forced to play for the Under-21 development team in recent months.

Newcastle are leading the Premier League race to rescue the winger with Tottenham wanting £14m for his signature.

 

And Spurs boss Pochettino says Townsend's future was 'obvious' with the writing on the wall for the England outcast.

He said: "I think it’s obvious the situation of Andros.

"It’s always about rumours but it is true that it’s obvious when some players are not too much involved in the games, the player always wants to play and try to find the solution."

Pochettino has found no room for Townsend in his 18-man squad for league or cup games for the last three months.

But he says the likes of Townsend and the fellow fringe players would have been in his thinking if he was permitted to increase the size of his substitutes' bench.

 

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy lobbied the FA back in 2008 to increase the number of replacements from five to seven.

And Pochettino is keen for a rule change to introduce unlimited subs.

He added: "The rule in football and the Premier League is you can only pick 18 players and 11 on the pitch.

"Maybe if we change the rule like Italy or Champions League then you can put all the players on the bench that you have in the squad.

"Maybe that would be better and help managers in the future. This is a point to discuss with the FA Cup or the Premier League because maybe I think it would be a very good rule."