Andros Townsend expressed his surprise on Twitter at Sam Allardyce’s resignation from Crystal Palace – and Newcastle fans urged the winger to return to St James’ Park.
Townsend spent the second half of the 2015-16 season at Newcastle but quit in the immediate aftermath of their resignation from the Premier League.
The 25-year-old had a mixed first half of the recently completed campaign at Palace but he made a much bigger impact after Allardyce was appointed as the replacement for the sacked Alan Pardew.
Townsend has spoken warmly of how Allardyce’s methods made him more of a rounded player and improved his fitness to the point where he has been able to make a far bigger defensive contribution.
He took to his personal Twitter account on Tuesday night to express his shock of the former England manager’s resignation two days after the Premier League season had ended.
Wow
— Andros Townsend (@andros_townsend) May 23, 2017
Newcastle fans were enthused by Townsend’s surprise and almost universally suggested it would now be the perfect time for him to return to Newcastle for a second spell.
Here is a selection of their messages on Twitter:
@andros_townsend May aswell come back to the toon the lad????????
— NUFC HQ (@NUFC_HQ) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend Remember the bridges, lad.
— •S•T•E• (@ssschtevvv) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend @TheFooTypster Howay then, get your train booked.
— Toon Photography (@toonphotography) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend Come home Andros ???? pic.twitter.com/Kp4iCHpFT7
— Andrew (@andrewnufc_) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend @NUFC_HQ So u coming home then.
— Jay (@NUFC_JAY17) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend may aswell come back to newcastle then lad????????
— Reece Walters (@R_Walters7) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend ?? pic.twitter.com/8spzrIBjpJ
— Cameron Findlay (@Cameron_NUFC) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend pic.twitter.com/XDXratN2hp
— Kevvvv (@Kev_McKenna_) May 23, 2017
@andros_townsend Jump ship lad, come back??????????
— Benjamin (@BenjaminDylan1) May 23, 2017
Townsend scored three goals and supplied seven assists in 40 matches for Palace this season.
By contrast, he scored four goals and provided two assists in his brief 13-match spell at Newcastle following his January 2016 transfer from boyhood club Tottenham.
His contract at Palace runs until the summer of 2021.