Harry Redknapp has weighed in on James Ward-Prowse, claiming that his performance in West Ham United’s win over Nottingham Forest deserved international recognition.
The 29-year-old produced two moments of magic from deadball situations to assist Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek as the Hammers ended their four-match winless run in the Premier League with a 3-2 win.
Ward-Prowse’s outstanding performance came just days after he was left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the November international break, and Redknapp believes his performance against Forest proved Southgate made a mistake.
“Very good performance, real end-to-end stuff there yesterday,” he said on talkSPORT (13 November, 7:43). It was a fantastic game. Ward-Prowse, excellent set plays.
“I believe you’d have him in an England squad.” With a good set play, he can always come off the bench and influence a game. He’s useful to have around. He’s a good player and a good professional.
Everyone except Southgate appears to agree that Ward-Prowse should be in the England squad right now, with talkSPORT presenters taking turns to suggest the 29-year-old would be a better choice than Kalvin Phillips or Jordan Henderson.
Even if the West Ham star wasn’t performing particularly well, there is an argument that he is still deserving of an international spot ahead of the other midfielders named in the squad, given his regular Premier League appearances.
But the fact that he is performing so well at the heart of David Moyes’ team makes him a shoo-in for the national team. This season, he has seven goal involvements in the Premier League and four assists in the Europa League.
His ability to stand over a dead ball is second to none in the Premier League and, as Redknapp suggests, he would be a huge weapon to have in England’s arsenal. He wouldn’t even have to start matches because he could have a huge impact from the bench.
West Ham fans can take solace in the fact that their star player will be able to take a well-deserved break during the international break. Hopefully, he will avoid injury and be ready to go when club football resumes.
