James Ward-Prowse: The Best Setpiece Maestro

Player Profile: James Ward-Prowse

Player Profile Overview

Early Life

James Ward-Prowse was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire to John Ward-Prowse, a barrister in 1994. He played locally for East Lodge. Although his family are Portsmouth supporters as he was born in the city, Ward-Prowse joined their South Coast derby rivals Southampton at the age of eight.

James Ward-Prowse enrolled in the famed Southampton Academy after beginning to play locally for East Lodge at the age of six. He went on to play every game for the U18 squad in the 2010–2011 season before being accepted as a full-time scholar in 2011.

While at the Southampton academy, he secretly trained with non-League teams Havant and Waterlooville. The idea was to toughen himself. At the age of 16, Ward-Prowse made his debut in the Football League Cup against Crystal Palace. His performance earned him his first call-up to the Southampton first team.

Nevertheless, Ward-Prowse scored Southampton’s first goal in a 2-1 victory over Coventry City on his second start of the season, sending his team to the FA Cup’s fourth round.

James Ward-Prowse, along with Luke Shaw, Jack Stephens, and Calum Chambers, was one of four young players offered a professional contract for the club’s return to the Premier League after its promotion to the top flight in May 2012.

Against the reigning champions Manchester City, Ward-Prowse made his Premier League debut for Southampton on the first day of the 2012–2013 season, playing the first 65 minutes of a 3-2 loss.

Playing Style of James Ward Prowse

Although Ward-Prowse’s primary position is a central midfielder, he can also play right midfield, right back, or as an attacking midfielder. In February 2023, he was referred to as one of the best set-piece takers.

He is especially well-known for his accuracy and skill in taking free kicks. In addition to being regarded as one of the best set-piece specialists in the game, he holds the Southampton record for Premier League free-kick goals and has the best free-kick conversion rate since Opta began keeping track of them in 2003.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, declared Ward-Prowse to be the best free-kick taker I have seen in my life. Overall, he’s a well-rounded midfielder who contributes both offensively and defensively.

In 2021, Ward-Prowse made history by being the first Premier League player to play every minute of two straight seasons. He is also praised for his extraordinary stamina and level of fitness. He is known for celebrating his goals by mimicking a golf swing.

Youth Career

James Ward-Prowse had an impressive youth career that laid the foundation for his success in professional football. He joined the Southampton academy at the age of eight and quickly made his mark. His talent and hard work showed as he rose through the ranks, giving him chances to perform at different youth levels.

In addition to honing his technical skills and expanding his game knowledge, Ward-Prowse demonstrated his leadership abilities during his youth career. These attributes have served him well throughout his career, contributing significantly to the teams he has represented.

In his youth career, James Ward-Prowse achieved several notable accomplishments. He captained Southampton’s U18 squad, which won the FA Youth Cup in 2010–2011. Moreover, he played a significant role in the 2010 UEFA European U17 Championship victory for the England U17 squad.

In addition to the FA Youth Cup and the UEFA European U17 Championship, James Ward-Prowse also won the Toulon Tournament with the England U21 team in 2016. This tournament is a prestigious competition for young players, and winning it further showcased Ward-Prowse’s talent and potential.

It’s always exciting to see players achieve success at a young age. Ward-Prowse’s performances and achievements during his youth career helped establish him as a promising talent in the world of football.

Senior Career

Ward-Prowse was first called up to the Southampton first team in October 2011, when he made his debut at the age of 16 in the Football League Cup against Crystal Palace. James Ward-Prowse scored his first Southampton goal in a 2–1 win over Coventry City to help his side through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Ward-Prowse made his Premier League debut for Southampton against Manchester City on the opening day of the 2012–13 season. Although he made 15 league appearances mainly as a sub, he complained of not being content with sitting on the bench. However, he won the Scholar of the Season award at the club awards teammate Luke Shaw.

At the beginning of the 2013–14 season, Ward-Prowse came into favour with manager Mauricio Pochettino Ward-Prowse was an ever-present at the start of the 2014–15 season. He scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–0 win against Hull City with a penalty kick.

After the 2019-2020 season, Ward-Prowse permanently replaced Pierre-Emile Højbjerg as Southampton captain. He played his 300th Southampton game 3–1 home defeat by Arsenal on 26 January 2021.

In March 2023, Ward-Prowse played his 330th Premier League game for Southampton, breaking Jason Dodd’s club record. He played his 400th game for the club on 2 April 2023, a 1–0 loss at West Ham, who were also fighting relegation.

Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 13 May 2023, and the Southampton captain said the club’s standards were regressing.

Relegation and West Ham United

On 14 August 2023, James Ward-Prowse signed for Premier League club West Ham United on a four-year contract, for a reported transfer fee of £30 million. On 20 August, making two assists in a 3–1 home victory over Chelsea.

He described the game as a “dream debut” as he assisted the opening goal for Nayef Aguerd and West Ham’s second goal, for Michail Antonio.

He scored his first goal for the club and his 50th in the Premier League in the following match, a 3–1 away victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on 26 August. On 6 April 2024, Ward-Prowse scored directly from a corner kick in West Ham’s 2–1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

James Ward-Prowse’s International Career

Ward-Prowse started his international youth career with the England U17 team, winning seven caps and playing two tournaments between 2010 and 2011. He made the step up to the U19 team in 2012, playing four times.

He was also part of the U20s that played the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. However, the English U20s had a disastrous outing winning none of the games they played in that competition.

After receiving his first call-up for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Moldova and Finland. Ward-Prowse scored his first U21 goal on 15 October with a 20-yard free kick in a 5–0 win against Lithuania.

Ward-Prowse was among one of the best three players in the tournament. He later captained England U21s to their first Toulon Tournament victory in 22 years beating hosts France 2–1.

In June 2017, he captained the U21s at that year’s edition of the European U21 Championship. Although He captained England to the semi-finals, they eventually lost to Germany in a penalty shoot-out.

Making His Senior England Debut

On 12 March 2017, James Ward-Prowse made his senior debut along with teammate Nathan Redmond in a 1–0 away loss to Germany. He replaced West Bromwich Albion’s Jake Livermore after 82 minutes.

After a two-year hiatus, In March 2019, Ward-Prowse made the senior national team for England’s UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. His first international goal came on 25 March 2021 in a 5–0 win over San Marino.

Although Ward-Prowse was named in England’s 33-man provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2020, he did not make the final squad for the competition. Southgate also called him to the provisional squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar but failed to make the final team.

His national team manager while extolling the talents of Ward-Prowse Jordan said the player was slightly behind Jordan Henderson and Jude Bellingham in the pecking order.

James Ward-Prowse: The Set-Piece Maestro

Ward-Prowse is widely regarded as the best dead ball specialist of the current era. His stunning free-kick against Brazil during the group stages of the 2014 Toulon Tournament was voted Goal of the Tournament.

His free-kick goal in Southampton’s 3–1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium placed him joint second in the list of most free-kick goals in Premier League history only behind David Beckham. Afterwards, Pep Guardiola called James Ward-Prowse the greatest free-kick taker in the world.

He has scored 17 free-kick goals 13 of which are in away games, two more than Beckham’s away record of 11 free-kicks. With the rest of his career still in front of him, Ward-Prowse still has ample time to equal and eclipse Beckham’s record.

James Ward-Prowse’s Personal Life

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Ward-Prowse is the son of John Ward-Prowse, a barrister. He attended the Catholic Church in Oakland.

Although his family are Portsmouth supporters, Ward-Prowse joined their South Coast derby rivals Southampton at the age of eight. Ward-Prowse and his wife, Olivia, have one son named Oscar born in 2018.

James Ward-Prowse is quite private about his personal life, so there isn’t much information available about his childhood. Understandably, he would rather keep the spotlight on his football career. Athletes frequently maintain a public persona while maintaining a private life.

Conclusion

James Ward-Prowse’s journey is one of many incredible turning points and successes in his football career so far. Ward-Prowse has demonstrated his ability as a talented and significant player for any side he has played for in his career.

Despite keeping his personal affairs private, James Ward-Prowse’s on-field antics demonstrate his commitment to and love for the game. Fans are looking forward to seeing what this gifted midfielder’s future holds as there are still a lot of thrilling chapters left.