On Wednesday evening Newcastle United confirmed the signing of Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend on a five-and-a-half-year contract, bringing one of the January transfer window’s most protracted sagas to a timely and satisfying conclusion.

Uncompromising Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy had insisted upon holding out for £14million for the unsettled Englishman – who also attracted interest from Premier League rivals Watford and West Brom – however, following an intervention by manager Mauricio Pochettino, the club reluctantly agreed to strike a deal with Newcastle for a still hefty £12million fee.

It’s understood that Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren had earmarked Townsend as one of his main transfer targets prior to the window opening on January 1st, and the Magpies’ boss will be delighted to secure the signature of a player who many believe has a point to prove after his relationship with boyhood club Spurs turned sour following his now infamous bust up with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner.

Criticised by many Spurs’ fans for his inclination to ‘cut in and shoot’ from wide positions at every available opportunity, some of the vitriol that has surfaced in the wake of Townsend’s switch to St James’ Park is unfair in the extreme and does a huge disservice to a young player who feeds off positivity and thrives when he is being encouraged to play his natural, expansive game.

A graduate of the Spurs’ academy, between numerous loan spells with lower league sides Townsend made 93 appearances for the Lily Whites in all competitions, after making his first-team debut under Harry Redknapp back in 2011.

The 24-year-old stepped up to the plate following Gareth Bale’s departure in 2013, and his eye-catching exploits for the North Londoners propelled him into Roy Hodgson’s England setup, where he played a pivotal role in the Three Lions’ successful qualifying campaigns for 2014’s World Cup in Brazil and this summer’s European Championships in France.

Unfortunately for Townsend, who was held in extremely high esteem by ex Spurs boss Andre-Villas Boas, his game time at The Lane has gradually dwindled under enterprising Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has struggled to accommodate the jet-heeled winger’s direct style in a side that revolves around structured tactical discipline and a considerate passing game.

Perhaps what encouraged McClaren to make such a play for the out-of-favour Spurs’ man is the width that he can add to a one-dimensional Newcastle side that has failed to get enough crosses into the opposition area since the first whistle of the season.

At his best, the former QPR loanee is a swashbuckling throwback to the old fashioned, wing raiding wide-men of old, and he is hell-bent on giving opposing full-backs a torrid time for the entirety of the 90 minutes – undeterred by how many times he fails to beat his man, Townsend will always demand the ball and head back for more.

For a majority of the campaign, Newcastle’s limited squad options have forced central attacking players Georginio Wijnaldum and Ayoze Perez to occupy the left hand side of midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation and, whilst both players should be applauded for their endeavour in the unfamiliar role, they have been mostly inefficacious

The main issue for Gini and Perez has been their propensity to come inside onto their favoured right foots and occupy a more natural central position when in possession, effectively cancelling Newcastle’s chances of fashioning meaningful contributions down the left-hand side of the pitch due to Paul Dummett’s attacking limitations, and making life easy for opposing sides by narrowing the pitch.

For all of the technical prowess in Newcastle’s squad, they currently possess few individuals who are willing to run at their marker and fashion opportunities out of nothing – something that Townsend can certainly bring to the table with his velocity and bold, direct playing style.

Another facet of Townsend’s game that seems to have largely slipped under the radar is his ability to utilise either foot effectively, as he showed with his rasping right-footed strikes for England against Montenegro and Italy.

Since being banished to Spurs’ u21 side three months ago, the winger has taken set pieces from both the right and left hand sides of the pitch, switching between both feet at will to give the delivery the inward or outward swing that is required to put the opposition goal under the most significant threat.

With both Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend now amongst the Newcastle ranks, McClaren finally possesses two players who can deliver a diverse array of high-quality deliveries from wide areas, which will hopefully improve the Magpies’ scant conversion rate from free kicks and corners.

The hope for Newcastle fans is that Townsend can channel the frustration that has built since his slip down the Spurs’ pecking order positively.

For England, when he’s had a point to prove at the highest level, Townsend’s performances have frequently bordered on outstanding, and a player who can perform to that level on the international stage will surely not be phased by a gruelling fight at the bottom of the Premier League table.

At £12million, it’s very easy to say that Townsend is overpriced, but, for an experienced 24-year-old England international playing for a top four side, is the fee really *that* extortionate?

The fact of the matter is, Townsend is better than what we currently have and, If the flying winger can get back to his best and provide Newcastle with a new dimension and a more balanced range of attacking options down both the left and right-hand sides, his price tag will soon be forgotten.

Newcastle fans love doughty players who are willing to take risks, drop a shoulder and drive at opposing sides and, if we get behind the lad, I think Townsend’s fearless approach could earn him a special place in the hearts of the Toon Army.

Now, let’s go and sign a striker for Andros to feed!

For more of an insight into what Andros Townsend can bring to the table, take a look at the video below:

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