Southampton’s reputation as an exceptionally prolific breeding ground for young British talent was accelerated last week when Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana earned wholly merited call-ups to join Rickie Lambert in Roy Hodgson’s latest England squad.
With the starting right-back berth in the national team perhaps the one that is most up for grabs, there could yet be an opportunity for Saints’ terrific 22 year-old Nathaniel Clyne to stake his claim as a serious alternative to the defensively suspect pair of Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker.
Below the main England group, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse will continue their involvement with Gareth Southgate’s under-21 unit. Shaw’s evident ability, and incredible potential, have already lead to his name being discussed as a replacement for Ashley Cole at Chelsea or Patrice Evra at Manchester United. Furthermore, the 18 year-old is widely touted as the man who will succeed Cole in the national set-up and go on to vie with Leighton Baines for the number 3 jersey.
Ward-Prowse’s name is one that is gradually making waves, but not at the rate of his more celebrated colleagues. That can, surely, only be a short-term scenario.
When, in August 2012, Southampton returned to the Premier League after a seven year absence with a fixture at then defending champions Manchester City, their manager of the day, Nigel Adkins, trusted Ward-Prose with one of the pivotal deep-lying midfield roles in his team. A fortnight later the teenager excelled in a fierce St Mary’s encounter against Manchester United.
A homegrown youngster could conceivably have been disturbed by the removal of the man who had given him his first-team chance – even more so for Adkins’ January replacement being an unknown foreigner, the Argentinian, Mauricio Pochettino.
At the back end of last season, with his top-flight playing opportunities coming predominantly from the bench, Ward-Prowse’s belief and ambition were exposed when it became apparent that it was not a situation with which he was content.
His frustration did not negatively impact upon the teenager’s performances for his club’s under-21 side. Anybody who watched on as the Saints development team played home fixtures on a heavy, trying pitch at Eastleigh’s Silverlake Stadium saw a player with gifts beyond his years. Ward-Prowse was always available and ready to take possession, then able to dictate proceedings with his vision and range of passing.
That form and confidence has carried over into this term, and proved enough to persuade Pochettino that his fledgling midfielder was worthy of a place in the Southampton eleven that opened the campaign at West Bromwich Albion.
Ward-Prowse hasn’t looked back. While the mercurial, but more prominent, Gaston Ramirez has been consigned to substitute duties, the Portsmouth born player has forced his way back into being a first-choice after a series of effective second-half cameos.
From his spot on the right of an advanced three, Ward-Prowse has been simply magnificent. Especially impressive is his consistently outstanding right-foot delivery, either from a dead-ball or during open play. The vicious, dipping swerving crosses, delivered on a six-pence, and reminiscent in fashion of David Beckham’s famed style of ball striking, have created a catalogue of scoring chances for his colleagues. Moreover, they are just one facet in the armoury of an assured Englishman who is looking every inch the part in a team that is lying third in the Premier League.
Now 19, and with time on his side, Ward-Prowse might yet become the very best of this latest crop of scintillating South-Coast talent.
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