 Ward-Prowse warming up forWest Ham United in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-11-01)1 November 1994 (age 31)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Portsmouth, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Central midfielder[4] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2003 | East Lodge | ||
| 2003–2011 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2023 | Southampton | 344 | (49) |
| 2023– | West Ham United | 57 | (8) |
| 2024–2025 | →Nottingham Forest (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2010–2011 | England U17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | England U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | England U20 | 7 | (1) |
| 2013–2017 | England U21 | 31 | (6) |
| 2017–2022 | England | 11 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:56, 20 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as acentral midfielder forPremier League clubWest Ham United.
Originally a member ofSouthampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made hisfirst-team debut in October 2011, and signed his first professional contract in 2012. He became a regular forSouthampton and was appointed ascaptain in 2020. In 2023, he played his 400th game for the club, before leaving forWest Ham United the same year. After one season, he moved on loan toNottingham Forest.
Ward-Prowse has represented England atunder-17,under-19 andunder-20 levels and earned 31caps and scored 6 goals atunder-21 level, also serving as captain. He made his senior international debut in March 2017 in a 1–0 away defeat toGermany.
Born inPortsmouth, Hampshire, Ward-Prowse is the son of John Ward-Prowse,[5] a barrister.[6] Although his family arePortsmouth supporters,[5] Ward-Prowse joined theirSouth Coast derby rivalsSouthampton at the age of eight.[7]
Ward-Prowse and his wife, Olivia, have one son, born in 2018.[8][9]
After playing locally for East Lodge from the age of six,[10] Ward-Prowse joined theSouthampton Academy at the age of eight, later featuring in every match for the under-18 team in the2010–11 season before becoming a full-time scholar in 2011.[7] While at the Southampton academy, he secretly trained withnon-League teamHavant & Waterlooville to "toughen" himself.[6]
Ward-Prowse was first called up to the Southamptonfirst team in October 2011, when he made his debut at the age of 16 in theFootball League Cup againstCrystal Palace.[11][12] In his second starting appearance for the team, Ward-Prowse scored Southampton's first goal in a 2–1 win overCoventry City to help his side through to the fourth round of theFA Cup.[7][13] Following the club's promotion to the top flight in May 2012, Ward-Prowse was one of four youth players offered a professional contract for their return to thePremier League, along withJack Stephens,Luke Shaw, andCalum Chambers.[14]
Ward-Prowse made his Premier League debut for Southampton on the opening day of the2012–13 season, playing the first 65 minutes of a 3–2 loss against reigning championsManchester City.[15] After the match, his performance was described by managerNigel Adkins as "outstanding".[16] After asubstitute appearance againstWigan Athletic,[17] the 17-year-old returned to the starting line-up for the third match of the campaign againstManchester United, continuing to draw praise from commentators.[18] In November, shortly after his 18th birthday, Ward-Prowse signed a five-year contract with Southampton, amidst speculation that he might leave the club in the near future.[19]
In a home match againstQueens Park Rangers in March 2013, Ward-Prowse was involved in a late attack which could have saved the hosts a point when he provided a cross to be headed at goal bycentre-backMaya Yoshida, only for substitute goalkeeperRobert Green to save and secure the win for the visitors.[20] He later provided the assist for aJason Puncheon equaliser in the penultimate match of the season against fellow strugglersSunderland on 12 May, picking up play fromstrikersJay Rodriguez andRickie Lambert to cross for Puncheon to secure an important point for Southampton in the 75th minute of play.[21]
Despite making 15 league appearances for his club throughout the season, many of these came as a substitute, and as a result it was reported at the end of the season that Ward-Prowse was "not content sitting on the bench".[22] The midfielder did, however, win theScholar of the Season accolade at the Southampton club awards ceremony in May, beating academy teammates Luke Shaw andDominic Gape to the title.[23]
At the beginning of the2013–14 season, Ward-Prowse came into favour with managerMauricio Pochettino to start the first match of the season againstWest Bromwich Albion, almost scoring in one of the few attacking moves of an otherwise uneventful encounter which ended 1–0 to Southampton thanks to a last-minutepenalty from Lambert.[24] The midfielder also played the full 90 minutes of the following match against Sunderland, registering an assist with a free kick in the 88th minute which was headed in for a late equaliser by centre-backJosé Fonte.[25]
Ward-Prowse was an ever-present at the start of the2014–15 season, until on 20 September, when he fractured his foot in a win overSwansea City. He was subsequently ruled out for 10 weeks.[26]
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He signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract in January 2015.[27] On 11 April, he scored his first Premier League goal, opening the scoring in a 2–0 win againstHull City with a penalty kick.[28] He was given a straight red card on 2 May for a foul on Sunderland'sJermain Defoe, conceding a penalty from whichJordi Gómez scored the winning goal.[29]
On 3 October 2015, Ward-Prowse was a half-time substitute forOriol Romeu in a 3–1 win away to reigning championsChelsea.[30] This was his 100th Southampton appearance, making him the fourth-youngest player to reach that figure.[31]
Ward-Prowse was praised by managerRonald Koeman after scoring two goals in a 3–0 home win against West Bromwich Albion on 16 January 2016: a free kick and a penalty.[32] He amassed 39 appearances and scored twice during the2015–16 season.[33] On 13 May 2016, he signed a new six-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2022.[34]
Ward-Prowse scored his first goal of the2016–17 season on 25 September 2016 with an injury-time strike to seal a 3–0 away win overWest Ham United.[35] He doubled his tally on 22 January 2017, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home victory over reigning Premier League championsLeicester City as Southampton ended a run of four successive league defeats.[36] He made his 200th appearance in all competitions for Southampton on 7 April 2018.[37]
In June 2020, Ward-Prowse replacedPierre-Emile Højbjerg as Southamptoncaptain, initially until the end of the2019–20 season, after the Dane publicly expressed a desire to leave the club.[38] On 17 August 2020, Ward-Prowse signed a new contract until June 2025.[39]
On 26 January 2021, Ward-Prowse played his 300th Southampton game, assisting a goal byStuart Armstrong in a 3–1 home defeat byArsenal.[40] After Southampton rejected a reported offer fromAston Villa of £25 million for Ward-Prowse,[41] he signed a new five-year contract on 19 August 2021.[42]
Ward-Prowse scored a penalty in Southampton's 3–1 loss to Chelsea atStamford Bridge on 2 October 2021, but he also got ared card afterMartin Atkinson went to theVAR monitor to review a late challenge he made onJorginho.[43] The subsequent suspension ended his run of 117 consecutive appearances in all competitions, dating back to December 2018.[44]
On 15 January 2022, Ward-Prowse scored a free-kick goal in Southampton's 3–1 loss toWolverhampton Wanderers atMolineux Stadium.[45] The goal placed him joint second in the list of most free-kick goals in Premier League history (12), only behindDavid Beckham (18).[46] He was then described byPep Guardiola as the greatest free-kick taker in the world.[47] On 18 February 2023, his free-kick tally had risen to 17. 13 of these had been scored in away games, two more than Beckham's away record of 11 free-kicks.[48]
In March 2023, Ward-Prowse played his 330th Premier League game for Southampton, breakingJason Dodd's club record.[49] He played his 400th game for the club on 2 April 2023, a 1–0 loss at West Ham, who were also fighting relegation.[50]
After Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 13 May 2023, Ward-Prowse said the club's standards had slipped.[51]
On 14 August 2023, Ward-Prowse signed for Premier League clubWest Ham United on a four-year contract,[52][53] for a reportedtransfer fee of £30 million.[54] He made his debut on 20 August, making two assists in a 3–1 home victory over Chelsea.[55] He described the game as a "dream debut" as he assisted the opening goal forNayef Aguerd and West Ham's second goal, forMichail Antonio.[56] He scored his first goal for the club and his 50th in the Premier League in the following match, a 3–1 away victory overBrighton & Hove Albion on 26 August.[57][58]
On 6 April 2024, Ward-Prowse scored directly from a corner kick in West Ham's 2–1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.[59]
On 30 August 2024, Ward-Prowse signed for Premier League clubNottingham Forest on loan for the 2024–25 season.[60][61]
On 3 February 2025, the loan was terminated and Ward-Prowse returned to West Ham United.[62]
Ward-Prowse began his international career with theEngland under-17 team, gaining sevencaps for the team in two tournaments between 2010 and 2011.[63] In 2012, he made the step up to theunder-19 team, for whom he played four times, and in 2013 joined theunder-20s for the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey; the midfielder played all three matches in the tournament, none of which England won.[63]
In August 2013, at the age of 18, Ward-Prowse received his first call-up to theEngland under-21 team, for the2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches againstMoldova andFinland.[64] He played for 64 minutes in the first match,[65] and for the full 90 against Finland, in which he had some of England's clearest goal-scoring opportunities.[66] He scored his first under-21 goal on 15 October, scoring a free kick from 20 yards in a 5–0 win againstLithuania.[67] During the2014 Toulon Tournament, he scored a "stunning" free kick againstBrazil during the group stages.[68] This was later voted "Goal of the Tournament"; Ward-Prowse was also voted as one of the best three players in the tournament.[69]
In April 2015,Roy Hodgson called Ward-Prowse a "big prospect" and hinted at a possible senior team call-up by saying "he'll be in our thoughts because we like him very much."[70]
On 29 May 2016, he captained England under-21s to their firstToulon Tournament victory since 1994, by beating hosts France 2–1.[71] Ward-Prowse was nominated for the Vauxhall England Under-21 Player of the Year award, but eventually lost out to Southampton teammateNathan Redmond.[72]
In June 2017, he captained the under-21sat that year's edition of the European Under-21 Championship where England reached the semi-finals, eventually losing toGermany in apenalty shoot-out.[73]
On 16 March 2017, he earned his first call-up to thesenior England squad for afriendly againstGermany and aWorld Cup qualifying match againstLithuania.[74] Six days later, he made his senior debut along with teammate Nathan Redmond in a 1–0 away loss to Germany, replacing West Bromwich Albion'sJake Livermore after 82 minutes.[75]
In March 2019, Ward-Prowse was recalled to the senior national team for England's first two matches ofUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.[76] He was brought on after 82 minutes in England's 5–1 away win overMontenegro on 25 March. This was Ward-Prowse's first competitive appearance for England[77] with his first start coming away toIceland during a 1–0 win on 5 September 2020.[78] On 25 March 2021, he scored his first international goal in a 5–0 win overSan Marino.[79]
On 25 May 2021, he was named in England's 33-man provisional squad forUEFA Euro 2020,[80] although he did not make the final squad.[81] He was again called up on 5 October as a replacement for the injuredKalvin Phillips for the2022 FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures againstAndorra andHungary on 9 and 12 October 2021.[82] He did not make the final squad for the tournament, as managerGareth Southgate said he was "just behind"Jordan Henderson andJude Bellingham.[83][84]
Mainly playing as acentral midfielder, Ward-Prowse can also play as anattacking midfielder,right midfielder,[85] orright back.[86]
He is particularly known for his skill and accuracy at takingfree kicks,[87] and in February 2023 was described as "one of the best ever" set-piece takers by theBBC.[88] He holds the Southampton record for Premier League free-kick goals, has the league's best free-kick conversion rate since 2003, whenOpta started recording them,[89] and is considered one of the top set-piece specialists in the game.[90] In 2020,Manchester City managerPep Guardiola remarked that Ward-Prowse is "the best free-kick taker I have seen in my life".[91]
Ward-Prowse is also acclaimed for his exceptional fitness levels and stamina; in 2021, he became the first Premier League player to play every single minute of two consecutive Premier League seasons.[92][better source needed] He is known forcelebrating his goals by mimicking agolf swing.[93]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southampton | 2011–12[94] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| 2012–13[95] | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[96] | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[97] | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[33] | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| 2016–17[98] | Premier League | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6[a] | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| 2017–18[99] | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19[100] | Premier League | 26 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20[101] | Premier League | 38 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 44 | 5 | ||
| 2020–21[102] | Premier League | 38 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 44 | 9 | ||
| 2021–22[103] | Premier League | 36 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 11 | ||
| 2022–23[104] | Premier League | 38 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 45 | 11 | ||
| 2023–24[105] | Championship | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 344 | 49 | 29 | 5 | 28 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 410 | 55 | ||
| West Ham United | 2023–24[105] | Premier League | 37 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10[a] | 0 | 51 | 7 |
| 2024–25[106] | Premier League | 15 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2025–26[107] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 57 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 73 | 8 | ||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2024–25[106] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 410 | 57 | 32 | 5 | 32 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 493 | 63 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 March 2021 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 5 |  San Marino | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | [109] |
| 2 | 9 October 2021 | Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 9 |  Andorra | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | [110] |
Southampton
England U21
Individual
The skipper scooped the Fans' and Players' Player awards last night in a glittering ceremony at St Mary's, just as he did last season.
