da blaze casino： Over three years after former England manager Roy Hodgson named four Southampton players in his squads prior to the 2014 World Cup, the south coast outfit retain a rather large presence in the national setup.
da dobrowin： Indeed, indicative of the way in which the club operate, the latest two players on their books to receive the honour of a call-up come as a result of the Saints’ strengths in developing a new team after a summer of change. Nathan Redmond, a summer signing astutely identified as a replacement for Saido Mane, and academy graduate James Ward-Prowse.
The latter was a major part of Gareth Southgate’s U21 side, so it’s little surprise to see him brought into the big leagues, though to suggest it’s solely down to his relationship with the new man would be unfair on the midfielder. In fact, though he has flattered to deceive at times in red and white, his recent form has been nothing short of excellent.
Still only 22, the midfielder has largely moved to dispel of late the elements of inconsistency so prevalent in his game as he finds his feet in a team frequently tinkered with by manager Claude Puel. Paired next to the imperious Oriol Romeu and the ever impressive Steven Davis in a three-man central midfield lately, JWP has been realising the sort of potential that once saw him compared to Three Lions legend David Beckham.
During the biggest club game of his life so far, the EFL Cup final, the Portsmouth-born midfielder played at perhaps his highest level yet and drew individual praise from club legend Matt Le Tissier as a result of his performance. For a player who has often frustrated his own supporters due to the fluctuating nature of his form, the Saints’ big day at Wembley may have been a defining moment for him.
However, good performances on the south coast will inevitably lead to interest from other clubs. As he’ll find out from former teammates Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Luke Shaw when the England squad get together today, bigger clubs in the Premier League will invariably come calling.
And why not? So often, we’ll hear the standard of technically gifted English players lamented when compared to other nations, so when a player of such quality emerges, he’s bound to attract the prying eyes of others.
Think of the buzz surrounding Jack Wilshere when he first burst onto the scenes. In fact, perhaps recent links with clubs like Manchester City are more indicative of the weight players who can operate in the deep-lying playmaker role still carry in the transfer market. Despite so many years of injury problems, Wilshere continues to be considered one of the most talented Englishmen around today and the bizarre notion that all he needs to do is simply complete 90-minutes of football a few times on the trot to reclaim his place in the Three Lion squad is generally widely accepted.
Furthermore, outside of the veteran Michael Carrick – who still has a transformative presence on Manchester United’s midfield – there’s a dearth in this sort of player hailing from these shores. Eric Dier was handed that berth during the debacle that was Euro 2016, though has endured a difficult time of things at club level this season, while Wayne Rooney – the other man deployed there by Hodgson – may be on the way out of the international setup.
As a matter of fact, the notion of a young man from England pulling the strings in the Premier League is so bizarre that Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has recently been touted as a potential call-up for the Spanish national side.
So, it’s easy to imagine the likely interest in Ward-Prowse over the course of the summer. He operates in a role many of the big clubs struggle to fill, is young enough to keep aboard this upward trajectory and, of course, has the added bonus of being English. Pep Guardiola has recently talked about his ideal in signing more homegrown players and perhaps JWP presents more a viable option than the injury-prone Wilshere.
With doubts surrounding the aforementioned Carrick’s future at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho could also cast keen eyes over his situation on the south coast, while Liverpool have struggled to fill the deep-lying berth and have a history of raiding St. Mary’s over the last few years.
Perhaps discussing his likely interest amongst Premier League powerhouses is disrespectful of a club who have regularly challenged the elite and recently made it to a cup final, further adding to their remarkable rise from League One.
Still, there’s little getting away from the fact Ward-Prowse is becoming impossible to ignore and represents an attractive option to clubs capable of paying the English player premium.
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