Andros Townsend revealed the Crystal Palace players were in tears after Eberechi Eze ruptured his Achilles in training, moments before discovering he would’ve been in England’s provisional Euros squad.
Eze has been a star for Palace this season following his £16million transfer from Queens Park Rangers last summer.
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The 22-year-old got four goals and six assists in his debut Premier League campaign.
But disaster struck in training when the youngster picked up a nasty Achilles injury, that could keep him out until 2022, according to reports.
Townsend, who is out of contract with Palace at the end of the season, described what happened on that day.
“It was probably one of the saddest days of my career,” he told talkSPORT Drive. “At 11am the manager (Roy Hodgson) called us together and told us ‘it is his last season and I’ve decided to step aside’.
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“So we were all down in the dumps going into training, then half an hour later, we are ten minutes before the end of the session, it was a light session, Eze has gone to turn and you heard a big pop.
“He fell to the floor. He thought somebody kicked him, we all thought somebody kicked him because it sounded like that, as he’s turned around and realised nobody was around him, the shock started to set in as you know what it is.
“The shock in his face when he ruptured his Achilles, it haunts me when I go to sleep at night thinking about this young player who’s probably my closest mate at the club since he’s joined, we’ve really helped each other, for him to have such a serious injury is really sad.”
To add to Eze’s misery, once he got back into the changing room, he discovered a text saying he’d been included in England’s provisional squad for the Euros.
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Townsend added: “As soon as he got in the dressing room and turned on his phone there was a message from England to say he was in the provisional squad.
“That compounded his misery and a lot of us were in tears. It was a sad day.
“He’s had his surgery now and hopefully he’s on the mend and I know the player he is and character he is, he’s going to come back strong.”
Eze really impressed with Palace this season and despite the setback Townsend believes the winger can go much further.
He added: “He can go to the very top. It’s not easy coming up from the Championship to the Premier League.
“He had his ups and downs, but what impressed me most was his willingness to improve.
“When I was a youngster, you couldn’t tell me anything. He listened to the senior players, listened to the manager and didn’t shirk his defensive duties.
“Everyone knows what he can do going forward, but for me what he’s done defensively, and after training, he will go to the very top.”
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