IT IS THE dream of many a father to see their son walk out at Wembley for the FA Cup final.

Very few ever live to see it. But one proud dad from Chingford has a better chance than most, as his boy is currently on the books at Tottenham Hotspur and is carving out a promising career for himself.

Leyton Orient fans will be very familiar with Andros Townsend. The 18-year-old winger has been seen on a number of occasions sprinting down the left flank at Brisbane Road this season, and has been the scourge of League One defences up and down the country.

But, after three months in east London on loan, the youngster has returned to his parent club in White Hart Lane, where he hopes to break into Tottenham’s first team.

Naturally, his father, Troy, believes he can do just that. But, where parental bias often counts for very little, the word of Townsend Snr can be taken more seriously, as he used to be the manager of neighbouring Ryman Division One North outfit Leyton, before he quit to play a more active part in Andros’s development.

A place in Harry Redknapp’s starting XI is some way off yet but, in the meantime, there are a host of clubs – including Orient – who are clamouring for Townsend’s services during the second half of the campaign.

Townsend Snr remains pragmatic, however. While he readily admits he has high hopes for his son, he does not expect him to set the footballing world alight just yet.

“We were told he will have made an appearance for Spurs by the end of the season,” said Townsend. “He feels that’s where he wants to be. But that’s not his only goal, he wants games at the highest possible level.

“We don’t want him just to get a game. He could have played some part in the FA Cup (against Peterborough) on Saturday, but he’s clearly not ready to face Liverpool, for instance, at the weekend.

“If he has a good pre-season he could make inroads into Spurs’ first team at the start of next season.”

Townsend Snr was delighted with the experience his son gained during his time at the Matchroom Stadium, and insisted it stands him in good stead for the future.

But, after impressing at League One level, he also feels it may be time to test the winger on a bigger stage.

“He needed to prove he is a cut above that level and what he’s done speaks for itself,” he added. “Honestly, I think he is ready to play at a higher level. Orient has been a fantastic breeding ground for him.

“Andros was very disappointed his loan expired with Orient sitting in the bottom four. It’s not the way he wanted to leave. He feels results haven’t gone as well as they could have. He doesn’t want people to think he’s upped and left.

“He still has a lot to learn. I want to see him go to a higher level but there would be no problem whatsoever if he went back to Orient.”

The O’s are keen to get Townsend back on their books as they seek to scrap their way out of the relegation mire.

But it looks as if the young man is destined for greater things.