Already a part of the furniture, James Ward-Prowse eyes his place in Southampton history in EFL Cup Final
Saints' longest-serving player, who is still just 22 years of age, tells The Independent that he fancies his very own Bobby Stokes moment
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Southampton’s journey from the depths of League One to an EFL Cup final against Manchester United has been nothing short of extraordinary, and one player - their longest-serving player - has endured the turbulent ride with them.
Typically such an accolade would be boasted by a seasoned and experienced player, but for Southampton it is represented through someone a little different. At just 22 years of age, James Ward-Prowse veteran of sorts. The old man. He has witnessed the Saints’ transition and rise from third-tier scraps to gracing the fields of the Premier League, and is now on the verge of winning their first piece of silverware since that famous 1-0 FA Cup triumph over Manchester United in 1976.
When questioned on his longevity, he breaks out in a smile.
“I think it’s obviously a nice accolade to have, it’s been an amazing journey so far. It’s crazy how quickly time goes from joining the first team at 16, and then obviously to be where I am today, I’m very lucky to be a part of it and hopefully the journey can continue.”
Ward-Prowse has been a part of the St Mary’s set up since the age of eight and made his first senior appearance for the club in a League Cup fixture against Crystal Palace in October 2011, aged just 16.
When he joined the club in 2003, Southampton had been in the top flight of English football for the past 25 years. Though at times this record seemed tenuous with the Saints often narrowly missing out on relegation, it was only a dismal showing in the 2004/05 Premier League campaign, and a final-day defeat by Manchester United, that finally closed the curtain on their time at the top, triggering a descent that would only halt in League One four seasons later.
The England U-21 captain though, always remained confident he would play at the highest level with the club and paid tribute to the hard work that has been put in on and off the pitch to make that a reality. “I was always confident in myself and in my ability and in the club as well. I think the club have been very good to young players and not only myself but they’re a number of players who have come through the academy into the first team,” he stated.
“It’s a credit to the club, I think they’ve got the right people off the pitch making sure the club can have that stability and that foundation to go out on the pitch and progress. There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that prepare us for match days and to win football matches. It’s not very often that you see a club come from League One and have that development so quickly into the Europa league as well
“I don’t think you’ll see many clubs doing what Southampton have done”, he claimed, “But again I think the clubs got the right people and the right players and they’ve installed the right managers to make sure that the club can progress [and] I think it’s now a worldwide club.”
Growing up as a devoted Portsmouth fan, like his family, it wasn’t all so easy for the 22-year-old, though. He admitted at such a young age, the pressure of choosing to play for Pompey’s fiercest rivals was something he had to overcome.
“When I was younger it was a little bit tougher making that decision, growing up a lot of my friends were Portsmouth fans [but] that’s the way football goes and that’s the career path I chose. It was a tough decision from a young age but it was the right decision from where I’m sitting now.”
Of course, Southampton’s tenacious midfielder wouldn’t be the first Portsmouth boy to represent them in a final. Bobby Stokes spent nine years with the Saints but there was one moment which defined his whole Southampton career – scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Sunday’s opponents in 1976. For that fleeting moment alone, his name remains woven into the folklore of Southampton FC as do the rest of the 76-winning team.
With the prospect of winning their first major trophy since then, Ward-Prowse is fully aware the team could be on the cusp of being comparably revered for potentially the next 20, 30 years and is hopeful of replicating Stokes’ goal.
“You only have to walk down the corridor and see pictures of the club’s legends and things like that. As daily reminders, especially for academy players walking through there as well, these are the people who have been through the club and these are the successful times and we all want to be part of that as well.”
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