PL

England international James Ward-Prowse has come a long way since his Premier League debut for his boyhood club Southampton in the 2012-13 season opener.

He played over 100 games for them, across both League One, the Championship and the Premier League, scoring 23 goals. “What I was asking for (in contract) wouldn’t have even put me in the top three earners at the club. “It’s non-stop, 24/7. You’ll see little barber’s stalls at the side of the road and unless you experience it, it’s hard to explain.” “When they did that, they left me with no alternative and told me that I had to leave. “I think everyone at the academy should be so proud that, at 17, young James made his debut. His mentality is top drawer.” Ward-Prowse’s career has continued on an upward trajectory ever since. The 38-year-old Portugal international played for French champions Lille in the Champions League in 2021-22, but he was also a star for Southampton in the Premier League once upon a time. Despite his on-field success at the club, he’s best remembered for a comical moment when he left the pitch for an urgent toilet break in a league match with Everton in January 2013. He’s been tipped in recent campaigns for a move to one of the Premier League’s big-hitters, but he’s so far remained loyal to the side where he made his Premier League debut in a 3-2 defeat away to Manchester City in August 2012. The Saints captain is now a firmly established player in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team at St. Mary’s and is in the reckoning to earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the 2022 World Cup. England international James Ward-Prowse has come a long way since his Premier League debut for his boyhood club Southampton in the 2012-13 season opener.