Crystal Palace winger: I was affected by contract uncertainty

Andros Townsend has admitted his contract uncertainty affected him earlier this season.

But the Crystal Palace winger says he has pushed thoughts of his future to one side with his SE25 deal having less than three months to run.

The South London club have a big chunk of their playing squad in the same situation.

And there is also no clarity on whether manager Roy Hodgson will be retained. The former England chief is also out of contract after the Premier League campaign finishes.

Townsend told talkSPORT: “We’ve been told they are going to make decisions at the end of the season. We have to keep doing what we’re doing – and that’s it.

“We’re contracted until July 1, until July 1 we have to give absolutely everything for the cause.

“It’s difficult but these are the difficult times we’re living in, where clubs have lost a lot of money through a lack of fans over the last 12 months.

“If I go back to February I was out of the team and not playing well. The turn of the year is when you start thinking about your contract ‘right, I’ve only got six months left here’. I did really struggle. When I came on I was thinking ‘I need to play really well here and earn a new contract’. It wasn’t working. It’s only since then that I’ve kind of realised that what will be, will be. You just do what you’re doing and things will work themselves out.

“At the moment Palace are speaking to nobody, so we’re all in the same boat. I’ve let my agent deal with it.

“As soon as the season ends on May 23 then we’ll sit down and go through options.”